What US Refrigeration does

US Refrigeration Sales and Service Corporation is a privately held commercial refrigeration equipment and services provider incorporated in 1935 and headquartered in Wauconda, Illinois. The company sells, installs, and services commercial refrigeration equipment for food retailers, operating across a defined regional footprint covering 13 counties in Illinois (including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, and Kane), 2 counties in Wisconsin (Racine, Kenosha), and 2 counties in Indiana (Lake, Porter). The company is the region's principal distributor for Hussmann, the nation's leading refrigerated merchandiser manufacturer, and is a member of the Institutional and Supermarket Equipment, Inc. (ISE) nationwide procurement network, which provides access to fixtures and equipment from multiple manufacturers at quantity-discount rates. Customer segments range from small independent meat markets to large-scale grocers and centralized food storage facilities, including convenience stores, quick-serve restaurants, and gas stations.

The company's service portfolio spans five integrated offerings: equipment sales (anchored by Hussmann and ISE sourcing); construction and remodeling delivered through Local 597 Pipefitters Union members; 24/7 service and maintenance by factory-certified technicians with training across DX, Secondary, CO2, and Micro-Thermo refrigeration systems plus EMS platforms (CPC, Danfoss, Novar, Emerson), including remote monitoring capabilities; warehouse and delivery from a 30,000 square foot staging facility with company-owned trucks; and planning and design services for retail merchandising environments. Underlying field operations are supported by an electronic dispatching and work-order processing system, mobile field communication tools for technicians, and GPS-equipped service vehicles aimed at reducing response times.

Revenue is generated through a mix of hardware pass-through equipment sales (lower-margin procurement-driven stream), project-based installation and construction services (mid-margin project revenue), and recurring full and preventative maintenance contracts (higher-margin annuity stream). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, with no public pricing disclosed, no digital marketing infrastructure beyond a basic website, and customer acquisition driven primarily by reputation, the Hussmann distribution relationship, and the ISE network referral channel. The company operates continuously as an independent, privately held entity with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, M&A history, or external funding.

Name

US Refrigeration

Legal name

US Refrigeration Sales and Service

Website

https://usrefrigeration.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

US Refrigeration, founded 1935 in Wauconda, Illinois, sells, installs, and services commercial refrigeration equipment for food retailers across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. As the regional principal distributor for Hussmann and an ISE network member, it offers 24/7 factory-certified technician service and recurring maintenance contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Refrigeration Services

NAICS

Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems (IMAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigeration Installation & Replacement (Commercial) (HSAOAJAD), Preventive Maintenance Programs for Refrigeration Systems (HSAOAJAL)

Keywords

• Commercial refrigeration equipment
• Refrigeration installation services
• Refrigeration service and maintenance
• Food retail refrigeration
• Hussmann refrigeration distributor

Headquarters

HQ city

Wauconda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sales of commercial refrigeration equipment including Hussmann refrigerated merchandisers and systems. As a member of ISE network, they can source fixtures and equipment from multiple manufacturers at quantity-discount rates.
2. Installation Services: Professional installation services for commercial refrigeration equipment. Includes construction and remodeling services with carpentry, electrical, and plumbing capabilities. Member of Local 597 Pipefitters Union.
3. Maintenance and Repair Services: Factory certified technicians available 24/7 for maintenance and repair. Offers full maintenance contracts and preventative maintenance contracts tailored to business needs.
4. Warehouse and Delivery: 30,000 square foot warehouse operations with equipment receiving, staging, and delivery services via company-owned trucks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

US Refrigeration sells, installs, and services commercial refrigeration equipment for food retailers of all sizes — from small meat markets to large-scale grocers and food storage facilities. The company operates as the region's principal distributor for Hussmann refrigerated merchandisers and systems, and offers integrated capabilities including 24/7 factory certified maintenance, preventative maintenance contracts, construction and remodeling, planning and design, and warehouse/delivery services from its 30,000 square foot facility in Wauconda, IL.

Product overview

US Refrigeration offers a unified service portfolio for commercial refrigeration. The company operates as the principal distributor for Hussmann equipment while providing complementary services including equipment sales, installation, 24/7 service and maintenance (covering DX, Secondary, CO2, and Micro-Thermo refrigeration systems), construction and remodeling, warehouse and delivery (30,000 sq ft facility), and planning and design for retail merchandising environments. Services are delivered through factory certified technicians and Local 597 Pipefitters Union members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction and Remodeling

Quantifiable outcome

• GPS-equipped vehicles reduce travel times and save customers money
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Institutional and Supermarket Equipment, Inc. (ISE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS Refrigeration is a member of ISE, a nationwide network enabling access to a vast array of fixtures and equipment from multiple manufacturers at quantity-discount rates. This partnership allows US Refrigeration to source equipment even for single or small quantity orders at competitive pricing.
• HussmanncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS Refrigeration is the region's principal distributor for Hussmann, the nation's leader in refrigerated merchandisers and refrigeration systems. US Refrigeration installs and services Hussmann equipment, representing the brand as a primary distribution partner.
• Local 597 Pipefitters UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Refrigeration is a member of Local 597 Pipefitters Union, guaranteeing professional installation work. This union membership ensures access to skilled labor and professional standards for pipefitting and related construction work.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hussmann: Hussmann is the leading U.S. manufacturer of refrigerated merchandisers and commercial refrigeration systems and the principal equipment brand distributed and serviced by US Refrigeration. Comparable as the upstream manufacturer in the same commercial refrigeration value chain.
• True Manufacturing: True Manufacturing is a leading manufacturer of commercial refrigeration equipment used in foodservice and retail. Comparable as a major commercial refrigeration equipment OEM whose products compete with Hussmann in the same end markets served by US Refrigeration.
• Hillphoenix: Hillphoenix designs and manufactures commercial refrigeration systems, display cases, and energy management solutions for grocery and foodservice. Comparable as a broad incumbent commercial refrigeration manufacturer with overlapping product lines to those US Refrigeration distributes.
• Heatcraft Refrigeration Products: Heatcraft is a major manufacturer of commercial refrigeration components and systems (compressors, condensers, evaporators). Comparable as an incumbent commercial refrigeration equipment supplier competing for the same grocery and foodservice customers.

Direct peers

• General Parts Group: General Parts Group is a U.S. distributor of commercial kitchen and refrigeration equipment parts and provides service support across multiple regions. Comparable as a parts distribution and service organization in the commercial refrigeration aftermarket.
• United Refrigeration: United Refrigeration is a national refrigeration equipment and parts distributor serving contractors and end users across multiple states. Directly comparable to US Refrigeration in business model as a wholesale distributor of commercial refrigeration equipment and supplies.
• CoolSys (now Modine Service): CoolSys is one of the largest U.S. providers of commercial refrigeration, HVAC, and plumbing service, installation, and maintenance. Comparable as a direct competitor providing full-service commercial refrigeration solutions to retailers, grocers, and food-service operators.
• Russell Sigler & Associates: Russell Sigler is a regional commercial refrigeration and HVAC distributor and service provider serving the western U.S. Comparable to US Refrigeration as a regional distributor/installer/service provider of commercial refrigeration equipment with similar business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about US Refrigeration