Gaylord Industries

What Gaylord Industries does

Gaylord Industries (operating commercially as Gaylord Ventilation) is a US-based designer and manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment, organized as a division of ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, a subsidiary of the diversified industrial conglomerate Illinois Tool Works. Founded in the mid-20th century and headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, the company has manufactured pollution control equipment for commercial kitchen exhaust systems since the early 1970s — a heritage it cites as longer than any other manufacturer in the segment. Its core technology centers on thermal plume physics and fluid dynamics: the patented ELX Series ventilator uses hood geometry to harness the natural rise of cooking-generated thermal plumes, achieving industry-lowest CFM airflow ratings as tested to ASTM 1704 by Fisher Nickel, Inc. The product platform spans the EL Series light-duty ventilator, the ELX Series ultra-low-CFM ventilator, the ELXC Series clean-in-place wet ventilator, the XGS High-Efficiency Grease Extractor (up to 96% particulate efficiency to VDI 2052), the AirVantage Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) system, the Eliminator Pollution Control Ventilator, ClearAir electrostatic precipitator and three-phase filtration smoke/odor units, and utility distribution and specialty chemical adjuncts.

The company sells quote-based, project-driven commercial kitchen ventilation equipment into a single vertical — foodservice operators including restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools — through direct sales representatives, an authorized service-agent network, and foodservice equipment dealers that also distribute sibling ITW brands such as Hobart, Baxter, Berkel, Vulcan, Traulsen, and Wolf. Pricing is custom per specification and is not publicly disclosed; multi-year contract cadence is typical. Marketing reach combines a website resource center, LinkedIn and YouTube content (including the "Look Under The Hood" co-marketed series with Vulcan), interactive Blue Book digital catalogs, and industry trade shows. Strategic positioning emphasizes energy savings (25-70% fan energy savings, 10-50% overall airflow reduction), labor optimization (automated clean-in-place filtration), and regulatory compliance (UL 710, IMC, NFPA-96, Reese's Law), with recent product updates addressing AFFF and PFAS-related fire-suppression chemistry shifts in 2024. The firm holds no independent funding — it is capitalized and supported inside the ITW corporate structure.

Name

Gaylord Industries

Legal name

Gaylord Industries

Website

https://gaylordventilation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gaylord Industries, a division of ITW Food Equipment Group, designs and manufactures commercial kitchen ventilation equipment — including ELX thermal-plume ventilators, DCV systems, and grease/odor control — for US foodservice operators across restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation (Hoods/Make-Up Air/Grease Duct) (IMADANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Filtration & Indoor Air Quality Components (Filters/UV/ERVs-HRVs) (IMADANAE), Fans, Blowers & Ventilation Units (Supply/Exhaust/Inline) (IMADANAB), Dampers, Louvers & Ventilation Controls (IMADANAD)

Keywords

• Commercial kitchen ventilation
• Exhaust hood systems
• Demand control ventilation
• Pollution control equipment
• Foodservice equipment manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tualatin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gaylord Industries designs and manufactures commercial kitchen ventilation equipment, including exhaust hood ventilators (EL, ELX, ELXC Series), demand control ventilation technology (AirVantage), and pollution/smoke/odor control units (Eliminator PCV, ClearAir PCU). The ELX platform uses patented thermal plume physics and fluid dynamics to achieve the industry's lowest airflow rates, while the ELXC adds automated clean-in-place wet cleaning. The products are sold to foodservice operators including restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools.

Product overview

Gaylord Industries designs and manufactures commercial kitchen ventilation equipment under ITW Food Equipment Group. The product portfolio centers on a platform of exhaust hood ventilators (EL Series light-duty, ELX Series ultra-low CFM, and ELXC clean-in-place), complemented by Demand Control Ventilation technology (AirVantage), smoke and odor control solutions (Eliminator PCV, ClearAir PCU-ESP and PCU-TPF), a Utility Distribution System (UDS), and additional formula/specialty products. The ELX platform uses passive physics-based thermal plume capture to achieve industry-leading low airflow rates, while ELXC adds automated wet cleaning. The XGS grease extractor is an optional add-on across the ventilation line. The company has manufactured pollution control equipment for commercial kitchen exhaust systems since the early 1970s.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gaylord Ventilation: Primary commercial brand for kitchen ventilation systems and related products.

Products and services

• EL Series Ventilator

Quantifiable outcome

• CFM volumes up to 37% lower than other systems
• +6 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Halton Group: Global manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation, exhaust, and indoor air solutions for professional kitchens. Competes directly with Gaylord's ELX/ELXC and pollution control lines across EMEA and North America.
• Accurex (within Greenheck): Accurex is the foodservice ventilation brand within Greenheck Fan Corporation, offering kitchen hoods and exhaust systems that overlap with Gaylord's EL/ELX/ELXC platforms in restaurants, schools, and healthcare.
• Loren Cook Company: Manufacturer of commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and air-handling equipment used in kitchen ventilation and HVAC applications. Direct overlap with Gaylord's core ventilation/fan supply chain.
• CaptiveAire Systems: One of the largest direct manufacturers of commercial kitchen ventilation hoods and exhaust systems in the US. Closest head-to-head competitor across light/heavy-duty hoods, DCV controls, and pollution control, serving the same restaurant, hospitality, and institutional foodservice customers.

Broad incumbents

• Greenheck Fan Corporation: One of North America's largest manufacturers of commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and air movement equipment. Competes with Gaylord on fans, blowers, and integrated kitchen ventilation, though serving a far broader HVAC portfolio.
• Middleby Corporation: Diversified foodservice equipment conglomerate owning cooking, refrigeration, and ventilation brands (including recently acquired Welbilt). Overlaps with Gaylord on kitchen ventilation/hoods and competes for large multi-equipment foodservice bids within ITW Food Equipment Group.
• Broan-NuTone (Nortek): Major indoor air quality and residential/commercial ventilation player. Overlaps with Gaylord on commercial kitchen exhaust and IAQ components, though predominantly residential.
• Manitowoc Foodservice (now part of Middleby): Wide-line foodservice equipment brand; competes in integrated kitchen packages that include ventilation. Comparable as a sibling-product foodservice manufacturer.

Others

• Illinois Tool Works (ITW): Ultimate parent corporation; a Fortune 200 diversified industrial manufacturer. Relevant as the corporate sponsor providing capital, distribution, and ITW Food Equipment Group synergies that materially shape Gaylord's competitive positioning.

Emerging players

• CookTek: Manufacturer of induction cooking and ventless cooking systems for commercial kitchens. Represents a potentially disruptive alternative to traditional hooded ventilation that could constrain Gaylord's future TAM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_aZBtm8SM_3m5nmtgTC8MA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaylord-industries

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Gaylord Industries