Preston Phipps
Preston Phipps is a fourth-generation, family-owned Canadian industrial distributor and custom manufacturer founded in 1933, offering steam, HVAC, valve, laboratory ventilation, and water treatment products plus proprietary CompackHeat and ClearSteam systems to enterprise customers across nine verticals through 11 offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Preston Phipps does
Preston Phipps is a Montreal-headquartered, fourth-generation family-owned industrial equipment distributor and solutions provider founded in 1933, operating through 11 offices across Canada. The company distributes steam, HVAC, valve, air control, flow measurement, water treatment, laboratory ventilation, single-use bioprocessing, and hose products — primarily as the exclusive Canadian representative of Armstrong International and other manufacturers — while also manufacturing its own proprietary CompackHeat building heating systems and ClearSteam clean steam generators at a CSA B51 certified production facility. Its wholly-owned subsidiary Armserv Inc. delivers steam trap audits, energy optimization services, and 24/7 maintenance contracts, with the company claiming over 1,000 audits completed across 20 years and 600% ROI typical for repaired traps. Customer base spans nine verticals including Power & Steam, Petrochemical, Mining & Smelting, Biopharm, Food & Beverage, Pulp & Paper, Institutional, Hospitality, and Hot Water Solutions, with marquee enterprise logos such as Hydro-Québec, Suncor, Shell, Vale, Merck, Pfizer, and Molson Coors.
The business operates through enterprise field sales backed by accredited training seminars (over 10,000 industry professionals trained at $1,195 per attendee) and turnkey Engineer-Procure-Project Management services. Revenue streams include one-time product distribution sales, professional services for engineering and project management, custom hardware manufacturing, recurring managed-service contracts through Armserv, and fee-based training. The company holds exclusive distribution partnerships with Armstrong International (steam), Phoenix Controls and Strobic Air (laboratory airflow), Asecos (safety storage cabinets including the new ION-LINE lithium-ion battery line), Purity One (single-use bioprocessing), and others, creating a multi-decade channel moat in Canadian industrial and institutional markets.
Preston Phipps remains a privately held Canadian corporation under family ownership with no disclosed external investors or private equity. No financial details such as revenue, profitability, or funding are publicly disclosed; growth signals are indirect (Armserv sales tripling, Western Canada expansion contributing ~30% of revenue within three years of 2004 launch, and continuous product line additions). The company has no documented AI/ML capabilities, uses dated conventional CAD tools (Autodesk Inventor 2015, Codeware Compress 2015), and does not maintain a social media or digital marketing presence beyond a corporate website — relying instead on direct sales relationships and the credibility of 90 years of operating history in the Canadian industrial marketplace.
Preston Phipps firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Preston Phipps
- Legal name
- Preston Phipps Inc.
- Website
- https://prestonphipps.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Preston Phipps is a fourth-generation, family-owned Canadian industrial distributor and custom manufacturer founded in 1933, offering steam, HVAC, valve, laboratory ventilation, and water treatment products plus proprietary CompackHeat and ClearSteam systems to enterprise customers across nine verticals through 11 offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Preston Phipps industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Steam and Process Equipment
- NAICS
- Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)
- SIC
- Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)
- akta.pro primary industry
- HVAC, Water Heaters & Indoor Air Quality Distribution (CRAOAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC), Chillers, Boilers & Central Plant Operations (BPABACAG)
Keywords
Where Preston Phipps is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Preston Phipps business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Distribution & Sales: Preston Phipps exclusively represents manufacturers (including Armstrong International) and distributes steam, valve, HVAC, air control, flow measurement, and water treatment products. Revenue comes from product sales to commercial and industrial customers across Canada.
- Engineering, Procurement & Project Management: Turnkey solutions for commercial installations including project management, engineering design, and procurement services. Includes energy audits and steam optimization projects.
- Custom Manufacturing: 10,000 sq/ft CSA B51 certified production facility manufacturing customized solutions including CompackHeat and ClearSteam units, custom commercial skids, and piping packages per ASME Section VII and B31.3.
- Training Seminars: In-person technical seminars on steam systems, offered in English and French at $1,195 per person. Accredited by Quebec government and professional engineering orders for continuing education credits.
- Service & Maintenance Contracts: 24/7 maintenance and servicing through Armserv subsidiary, including energy monitoring services, performance optimization, and after-market service contracts for installed systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Industrial Seminars - 2-day in-person training in Montreal |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Preston Phipps product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Preston Phipps manufactures, distributes, and services industrial steam, HVAC, water treatment, valve, air control, flow measurement, and laboratory ventilation products for commercial and industrial customers across Canada. The company operates as both an exclusive distributor of leading manufacturer brands (including Armstrong International) and a producer of proprietary solutions such as CompackHeat and ClearSteam, supported by a CSA B51 certified production facility and full turnkey engineering, procurement, and project management services.
Product overview
Preston Phipps is an industrial equipment distributor and solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of steam, HVAC, water treatment, and laboratory ventilation products and services. The company operates as both a distributor of manufacturer products (including Armstrong International as a primary partner) and a manufacturer of proprietary solutions. The core product portfolio includes Steam Specialties (traps, condensate systems, valves), Valve & Piping Accessories, Heating & Ventilation, Water Treatment Systems, Laboratory Ventilation Systems, Flow Measurement & Control Products, Single-Use Solutions, and Hose Solutions. Proprietary branded products include CompackHeat (building heating systems) and ClearSteam (clean steam generators). The company also offers services through its Armserv subsidiary for steam trap surveys and energy optimization, plus technical training seminars. Storage cabinet products include ION-LINE Lithium-ION battery storage, Q90 Flammable, and UB90 Under Counter models. Preston Phipps serves diverse industries including Power & Steam, BioPharm, Petrochemical, Food & Beverage, Pulp & Paper, Mining, Institutional, Hospitality, and Water Treatment across Canada with 11 offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CompackHeat: Own building heating system solution developed by Preston Phipps
- ClearSteam
- Armserv
- Purity One
Products and services
- Steam Specialties Complete line of steam management components including steam traps (inverted bucket, controlled disc, thermostatic, bimetallic, float and thermostatic), condensate recovery systems, control valves, pressure and temperature regulators, strainers, and heat exchanger packages for steam optimization in industrial and commercial facilities.
- Valve and Piping Accessories High-quality ball, check, globe, gate, plug, jacketed plug, and butterfly valves plus strainers, available in sizes up to 64 inches, operating pressure up to Class 2500, and temperature from -196°C to 600°C for industrial and process applications.
- Heating and Ventilation HVAC products including humidification systems (direct steam injection, electronic, steam-to-steam, gas fired, fogging) and ventilation solutions for laboratory and industrial applications.
- Water Treatment Systems Products for municipalities and effluent treatment plants including hose stations, steam-water mixing valves, thermostatic mixing valves, electronic monitoring systems, instantaneous steam water heaters, pressure/temperature regulators, and plate and shell heat exchangers.
- Laboratory Ventilation Systems
Quantifiable outcome
- 600% ROI with 60-90 day payback on steam trap repairs after Armserv audit
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Preston Phipps
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Preston Phipps technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Preston Phipps partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.
- Armstrong InternationalcoreLong-standing exclusive partnership where Preston Phipps exclusively represents Armstrong International products related to steam optimization, ventilation, and critical airflow applications. Armstrong is a world-leading manufacturer founded in 1900. Armstrong International products form the core of Preston Phipps' product offering.
- Armserv Inc.coreArmserv is a subsidiary of Preston Phipps created in 1997 in partnership with Armstrong International. Specializes in exclusive steam analysis, technical design development, and implementation of optimization processes. Offers boiler room audits, steam system assessments, condensate recovery evaluations, and compressed air system energy inspections. Has seen sales triple over recent years.
- Phoenix ControlskeyExclusive distributor of Phoenix Controls products for laboratory applications. Phoenix Controls manufactures critical airflow products including electronic systems and venturi air valves for hoods and pressure control of laboratories, clean rooms, BioPharm facilities, and hospital isolation rooms.
- Strobic AirkeyExclusive distributor for Strobic Air, a leading manufacturer of airflow solutions for BioPharm and Institutional markets. Specializes in high plume, low energy laboratory exhaust systems.
- AsecoskeyExclusive North American partner for Asecos safety storage cabinets including flammable storage cabinets (Q90, UB90), lithium-ion battery storage cabinets (ION-LINE). Preston Phipps played a key role in developing the North American version of lithium-ion storage cabinets that comply with safety and fire code regulations.
- EnerquipminorShell and tube heat exchanger manufacturer partner for petrochemical and industrial applications. Provides sanitary shell & tube heat exchangers with various certifications including ASME-U stamp, CRN, PED, 3-A.
- Purity OnekeyPartner for single-use solutions and aseptic process products for biomanufacturing. Products include platinum-cured silicone hoses, PTFE-SS braided hoses, and pre-sterilized single-use hose assemblies for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.
- Tri-CanadaminorPartner for hose assemblies offering full line of standard and custom hose assemblies. Provides CRN hose assemblies with traceability, safety, and integrity compliance certified by TSSA.
- WaldnerminorPartner for laboratory furniture and fume hoods. Waldner's SCALA and Secuflow product lines are recognized worldwide as leaders in user safety and energy efficiency for laboratory environments.
- AntrumminorPartner for laboratory ventilation solutions providing centralized indoor air quality monitoring solutions for healthcare, chemical, BioPharm, and life sciences industries.
- StraubminorPartner for pipe couplings that replace welded, flanged, threaded or grooved type pipe joints. Used for pipe misalignment and vibration reduction in various hospitality and industrial applications.
- CSI (Control and Heat Systems)minorPartner for thermal maintenance systems providing heating and cooling of liquid/vapor processes for petrochemical, chemical, and refining industries. Also provides steam tracing solutions.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Preston Phipps competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spirax-Sarco Engineering: London-listed global leader in steam specialty equipment and peristaltic pumping. Spirax manufactures the same category of steam traps, condensate recovery, and control valves that form Preston Phipps' distribution core, and also runs direct engineering/service offerings — the closest publicly traded analog to Preston Phipps' integrated steam solutions model.
- TLV Corporation: Japanese-headquartered manufacturer of steam specialty equipment, including steam traps, valves, and condensate management. TLV's product portfolio overlaps directly with Preston Phipps' Steam Specialties line, and it operates a global distributor network in the same industrial customer segments.
- IPEX (Aliaxis): Canadian-headquartered manufacturer of thermoplastic piping, valves, and fittings serving industrial, municipal, and commercial markets. Direct competitor in the valve and piping accessories category and the most operationally similar Canadian industrial peer.
- Mueller Industries: US-based manufacturer of copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products including valves, fittings, and plumbing specialties. Competes with Preston Phipps in the valves and piping accessories segment for industrial and commercial customers.
- Watts Water Technologies: US-based global manufacturer of water treatment, flow control, and plumbing products. Directly comparable to Preston Phipps' Water Treatment Systems and Flow Measurement & Control product categories for municipal and industrial customers.
Others
- Armstrong International: Preston Phipps' principal manufacturer partner since the 1950s and co-owner of the Armserv subsidiary. Armstrong designs the steam optimization and HVAC products Preston Phipps distributes in Canada, making them the upstream supplier rather than a competitor, but the closest functional analog in terms of offering.
Broad incumbents
- Ferguson Enterprises: Largest US distributor of plumbing, HVAC, waterworks, and industrial products (formerly Wolseley Canada). Overlaps with Preston Phipps' distribution model across HVAC and water treatment but at vastly greater scale and broader product breadth.
- Watsco: Largest US distributor of HVAC products, serving 350,000+ contractors and technicians. Same go-to-market archetype as Preston Phipps' direct enterprise sales model, but at much larger scale with a national and growing e-commerce platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Preston Phipps social profiles
Digital presencePreston Phipps compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Preston Phipps financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Preston Phipps leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Preston Phipps subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Preston Phipps funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Preston Phipps M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Preston Phipps
What does Preston Phipps do?
Preston Phipps manufactures, distributes, and services industrial steam, HVAC, water treatment, valve, air control, flow measurement, and laboratory ventilation products for commercial and industrial customers across Canada. The company operates as both an exclusive distributor of leading manufacturer brands (including Armstrong International) and a producer of proprietary solutions such as CompackHeat and ClearSteam, supported by a CSA B51 certified production facility and full turnkey engineering, procurement, and project management services.
Is Preston Phipps a public or private company?
Preston Phipps is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Preston Phipps founded?
Preston Phipps was founded in 1933. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Preston Phipps based?
Preston Phipps is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Preston Phipps make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Product Distribution & Sales are the primary driver. The others are engineering, Procurement & Project Management, custom Manufacturing, training Seminars and service & Maintenance Contracts.
Who are Preston Phipps's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spirax-Sarco Engineering, TLV Corporation, IPEX (Aliaxis), Mueller Industries and Watts Water Technologies. Armstrong International is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Ferguson Enterprises and Watsco.
Does Preston Phipps have an API?
No public API is recorded for Preston Phipps.
What industry is Preston Phipps in?
Preston Phipps's product category is Industrial Steam and Process Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAFAJ, HVAC, Water Heaters & Indoor Air Quality Distribution, with a secondary code of IMAHAEAC, Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers). Its NAICS code is 332410 and its SIC code is 4961.