Space-Ray

What Space-Ray does

Space-Ray is the heating-products division of privately held Gas-Fired Products, Inc., founded in 1949 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company designs and manufactures infrared radiant gas heaters at its US facility, serving commercial and industrial facilities, poultry and swine operations, residential garages and outdoor living spaces, restaurant and hospitality patios, and temporary construction worksites. Its catalog spans tube heaters (ForceRED NXU/NXS, Cold Blocker CB, LTU, LTS, ETS/ETU, PTS/PTU, RSTP, PGR), ceramic radiant heaters (DK, RSCA), agricultural brooders (SHP, SSJ, Tru40, LoPro, Fusion, PCA, Defender, Big Foot, Velocity), patio heaters (Wind Blocker, Wind Blocker Marine Grade, Cold Blocker Restaurant), and electric units (KFUH), with capacities ranging from 4,000 to 250,000 BTU/hr. Core technology uses top-down radiant heat transfer that warms objects and people before air, reducing stratification, paired with proprietary calorized emitter tubes, aluminum reflectors rated at 97% reflectivity, a pull-through negative pressure combustion system, and Wind Blocker tinted ceramic glass rated for winds up to 40 mph.

The company sells through a direct field-sales organization with product specialists, regional manufacturer representatives, and an online Easy Quote portal, supported by a free Compuheat computerized heat-loss analysis. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure, and dedicated phone lines serve Commercial & Industrial, Poultry & Swine, and other divisions. Space-Ray generates revenue primarily from hardware sales of infrared heaters and accessories (thermostats, vent caps, chain kits, deflector kits, grilles) to enterprise and SMB customers across multiple verticals, with documented outcomes including 30-50% energy savings versus forced-air systems (up to 70% in very large buildings) and payback periods under one year in case studies spanning Levi Strauss distribution centers, CF&I Steel, Topflight Airpark aircraft hangars, the University of Minnesota, and Green Bay Packers facilities. The company holds CSA and ANSI Z83.20 certifications, operates a wholly-owned UK subsidiary, and maintains registered trademarks across its product lines.

Name

Space-Ray

Legal name

Gas-Fired Products, Inc.

Website

https://spaceray.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Space-Ray manufactures infrared radiant gas heaters (4,000-250,000 BTU/hr) for commercial/industrial facilities, poultry and swine operations, restaurants, residential garages, and construction sites, selling direct via field sales and quotes from Charlotte, NC since 1949.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heating Equipment

NAICS

Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341)

SIC

Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433), Heating Equip, Except Elec & Warm Air; & Plumbing Fixtures (3430)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF), Residential HVAC System Installation (Furnace/AC/Heat Pump) (HSAOAGAA), Radiant Floor Heating Installation (HSAOAGAG)

Keywords

• Infrared radiant heaters
• Gas-fired tube heaters
• Poultry brooder heaters
• Industrial space heating
• Outdoor patio heaters

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Infrared Radiant Gas Heater Sales: Space-Ray generates revenue through the sale of infrared radiant gas heaters and related accessories. Products range from tube heaters (20,000-250,000 BTU/hr) to ceramic heaters and specialty units. The company offers various product series targeting different market segments including commercial, agricultural, residential, and hospitality applications. Accessories include thermostats, vent caps, chain kits, deflector kits, and decorative grilles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Space-Ray designs and manufactures infrared radiant gas heaters — including tube heaters, ceramic radiant heaters, gas brooders, patio/outdoor heaters, and electric heaters — in capacities ranging from 4,000 to 250,000 BTU/hr. The company targets commercial and industrial facilities (warehouses, manufacturing plants, aircraft hangars, auto dealerships), poultry and swine operations, residential garages and outdoor living spaces, restaurant and hospitality patios, and temporary construction worksites. All Space-Ray heaters are made in the USA at the company's North Carolina facility.

Product overview

Space-Ray is a manufacturer of infrared radiant gas heaters offering a comprehensive portfolio of heating solutions. The product lineup includes tube heaters (ForceRED NXU/NXS, Cold Blocker CB, LTU, LTS, ETS/ETU, PTS/PTU, RSTP, and PGR Series), ceramic radiant heaters (DK and RSCA Series), and electric heaters. Applications span commercial/industrial facilities (warehouses, aircraft hangars, manufacturing plants), poultry/swine heating (SRB40CR, SHP, SSJ, Tru40, LoPro, Fusion, PCA, Defender, Big Foot, Velocity Series), residential/garage/outdoor heating (Cold Blocker, Wind Blocker Series including Marine Grade), restaurant/hospitality patio heating, and temporary construction worksite heating (RFPA Series). The company also offers electric heating options. Products range from 20,000 to 250,000 BTU/HR capacities and use either natural or propane gas. Space-Ray has been manufacturing heaters since 1949 and is headquartered in North Carolina with products made in the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ForceRED Series: Next generation infrared tube heaters offering 30% increased radiant efficiency and 30% more fuel efficiency compared to standard tube heaters.
• Cold Blocker Series
• Wind Blocker Series
• LTU Series
• LTS Series
• ETS/ETU Series
• PTS/PTU Series
• PGR Series
• Big Foot Series
• Fusion Series
• Tru40 Series

Products and services

• ForceRED NXU Series High-efficiency infrared tube heater series offering 30% more fuel savings than standard models through pull-through negative pressure design for increased radiant efficiency and safety; targeted at commercial-industrial building heating.
• ForceRED NXS Series Double reflector infrared tube heater designed for maximum radiant output with pull-through negative pressure system, ideal for complete-building commercial and industrial heating applications.
• Cold Blocker CB Series U-tube infrared gas heater ideal for residential garages, workshops, and small unheated spaces; offered in four input sizes from 20,000 to 50,000 BTU/hr and CSA-certified for residential and commercial use per ANSI Z83.20 and CSA 2.34.
• LTU Series Pull-through radiant tube heaters for commercial and industrial spaces; 19 different BTU sizes from 40,000 to 250,000 BTU/hr, factory pre-assembled for easy installation.
• LTS Series Pull-through low intensity gas infrared tube heaters with 19 BTU sizes and over 100 configurations, shipped in 10-foot pre-assembled packages for flexible installation in commercial and industrial spaces.
• ETS/ETU Series Economical pull-through radiant gas tube heaters with venting flexibility; available in ETS (straight) and ETU (U-tube) configurations with field assembly required.
• PTS/PTU Series Push-through positive pressure radiant tube heaters suited for harsh environments including car washes, with ALC option for corrosive environments and CNG variant for natural gas vehicle repair facilities.
• RSTP Series Original unitized infrared tube heater, completely factory assembled, targeted at industrial applications including steel mills and rail car thaw sheds.
• PGR Series Push-through tube heater designed for golf range and outdoor hospitality applications; available in seven input sizes from 40,000 to 125,000 BTU/hr with quieter enclosed blower operation.
• DK Series Ceramic radiant heaters for spot heating applications where electricity is not available, with heating capacities ranging from 26,000 to 160,000 BTU/hr.
• RSCA Series Ceramic radiant heaters for spot heating, ideal for loose construction sites and drafty buildings.
• KFUH Electric Heater Electric radiant heater for applications requiring an electric power source rather than gas.
• Wind Blocker Series Wind-resistant infrared heater for residential and outdoor use with tinted ceramic glass technology rated to 40 mph; available in 35,000 and 50,000 BTU/hr, indoor or outdoor rated.
• Wind Blocker Marine Grade Series Heavy gauge 316 stainless steel wind-resistant heater for coastal and corrosive environments, providing wind resistance up to 40 mph.
• RFPA Series Temporary construction and worksite heater for spot or total heating indoors or outdoors, construction sites, and emergency heat applications; requires no fans, ducts, or electricity beyond a gas connection.
• SRB40CR Series High-efficiency radiant gas brooders designed for poultry and swine applications with enhanced corrosion resistance.
• SHP Series High-pressure radiant gas brooders for poultry and swine operations, available from 4,000 to 17,100 BTU/hr.
• SSJ Series Single jet brooder with multiple control options and aluminum canopy for superior reflectivity, rated at 30,000 BTU/hr.
• Tru40 Series High-pressure brooder delivering 40,000 BTU with lab-tested 17.6% more heat input than leading competitive model.
• LoPro Series Low-profile radiant gas brooder with 5-inch height reduction for poultry houses, heating capacity up to 42,000 BTU/hr.
• Fusion Series Infrared poultry tube heater delivering a large superior heat pattern at litter level for better brood conditions, 60,000–80,000 BTU/hr.
• PCA Series Tube heaters for agricultural facilities, available in 75,000 to 150,000 BTU/hr capacities.
• Defender Series Water-resistant stainless steel version of the PCA Series brooder designed for harsh poultry house conditions.
• Big Foot (PBF) Series Poultry and swine infrared heater with 19-degree optimized reflector angle reducing convective wash and delivering better radiant throw for even temperature distribution, 60,000–90,000 BTU/hr.
• Velocity Series High-performance heater producing 250,000 BTU/hr output for brooding operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-50% energy savings compared to forced-air unit heaters, up to 70% savings in very large buildings
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Infralia: European-based infrared heating specialist focused on outdoor and semi-outdoor hospitality, sports, and commercial applications. Competes with Space-Ray's Wind Blocker and PGR lines in the patio/outdoor hospitality niche.
• HEAT Wagon: Manufacturer of portable and construction-grade indirect-fired and radiant heaters. Comparable to Space-Ray's RFPA Series in the temporary construction and worksite heating vertical.

Direct peers

• L.B. White Company: US-based manufacturer of heating solutions including construction site heaters, agricultural heaters, and infrared products. Direct overlap with Space-Ray's temporary construction, poultry/swine, and infrared heater product lines.
• Solaronics: Manufacturer of gas-fired infrared radiant heaters for industrial, commercial, and agricultural buildings. Direct competitor with comparable infrared tube technology and similar vertical mix including poultry houses.
• Reznor (Nortek Air Solutions): Established US maker of gas-fired unit heaters, infrared heaters, and commercial HVAC equipment under the Reznor brand. Competes head-to-head with Space-Ray in commercial and industrial heating, particularly in unit heater and infrared categories.
• TPI Corporation: Manufacturer of electric and gas-fired infrared heaters, unit heaters, and commercial HVAC equipment. Comparable product portfolio across infrared heating categories with a stronger electric heating mix than Space-Ray.
• Roberts-Gordon: Long-standing US manufacturer of gas-fired infrared radiant tube heaters (CORAYVAC) for industrial and commercial spaces. Direct competitor to Space-Ray across the same product category, customer base (warehouses, auto dealerships, aircraft hangars), and go-to-market model.
• Detroit Radiant Products: Manufacturer of low-intensity and high-intensity gas infrared tube heaters for industrial, commercial, and agricultural applications. Closest direct competitor in infrared radiant gas heating with overlapping product series and target verticals including poultry.
• Schwank Group: German-based global manufacturer of gas infrared heating systems (tube and ceramic heaters) for industrial, commercial, and sports facility applications. Comparable product technology and customer base, with stronger international footprint than Space-Ray.

Broad incumbents

• Modine Manufacturing: Diversified thermal management manufacturer serving HVAC, automotive, and data center markets with unit heaters and infrared products. Overlaps with Space-Ray's commercial/industrial heating line but operates at much broader scale and product breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Space-Ray