Stafford Smith
Stafford-Smith is a third-generation, family-owned commercial foodservice equipment distributor founded in 1940 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company distributes major-OEM cooking, refrigeration, and ventilation equipment, and provides in-house design, engineering, project management, installation, and repair services to restaurants, multi-unit chains, entertainment venues, healthcare, education, hospitality, and corporate customers nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1940
- HeadquartersKalamazoo, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Stafford Smith does
Stafford-Smith, Inc. is a family-owned commercial foodservice equipment distributor founded in 1940 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now in its third generation of ownership. The company distributes commercial cooking, refrigeration, preparation, ventilation, and storage equipment from major manufacturers including Hobart, Manitowoc, Vulcan, Rational, Traulsen, Blodgett, CaptiveAire, Vollrath, Frymaster, Cambro, Garland, and True Manufacturing. Stafford-Smith executes projects ranging from single-piece orders to stadium-scale deployments, supported by 17 physical offices plus multiple remote locations across the U.S. and stated capability for international project management.
The company's underlying technical capability centers on an in-house design department using CAD, Revit, and BIM software for layout and design of kitchen, dining, and front-of-house areas, complemented by company-owned and allied warehouse partners providing receiving, inspection, unpacking, assembly, and consolidation services. Beyond equipment distribution, Stafford-Smith offers design and engineering services, project management and coordination, delivery, installation and final connections, repair services (including refrigeration service in Michigan), custom fabrication via a network of stainless steel, millwork, and furniture fabricators, and logistics support for new store openings, remodels, relocations, and multi-unit rollouts.
Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time equipment sales (the dominant stream), and two professional services streams covering design/engineering and installation/repair. All pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans nine identified segments: independent restaurants, multi-unit operators (Chili's, Panera, Big Boy, Sonic), entertainment venues (Climate Pledge Arena, Red Rocks, Four Winds Casino), healthcare (C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Children's Medical Center Plano, Aurora Hospital), education (Abilene Christian, Northern Michigan, Campbell), hospitality (AC Hotel, Shinola Hotel), business & industry (Bank of America Tower, Uber @ 3 World Trade Center, Federal Reserve Bank), secured facilities, and retail.
Stafford Smith firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stafford Smith
- Legal name
- Stafford-Smith, Inc.
- Website
- https://staffordsmith.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1940
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Stafford-Smith is a third-generation, family-owned commercial foodservice equipment distributor founded in 1940 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company distributes major-OEM cooking, refrigeration, and ventilation equipment, and provides in-house design, engineering, project management, installation, and repair services to restaurants, multi-unit chains, entertainment venues, healthcare, education, hospitality, and corporate customers nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stafford Smith industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Foodservice Equipment Distribution
- NAICS
- Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Equipment Wholesale (AFAIALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Refrigeration & HVAC (Foodservice) Wholesale (AFAIALAI), Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG)
Keywords
Where Stafford Smith is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kalamazoo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices18 records
Markets served
Stafford Smith business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Sales: Sales of commercial foodservice equipment including cooking, refrigeration, preparation, ventilation and storage equipment. Revenue generated from single piece orders to large stadium-scale projects.
- Design and Engineering Services: Professional services including layout and design, budget planning, CAD drawings, engineering, and project management and coordination.
- Installation and Service: Delivery, installation and final connections, plus repair and maintenance services including refrigeration service in Michigan.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quotation-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Stafford Smith product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stafford-Smith distributes commercial foodservice equipment (cooking, refrigeration, preparation, ventilation, storage) from major manufacturers and serves as a one-stop vendor for projects ranging from single-piece orders to stadium-scale installations. The company complements equipment sales with in-house layout and design (CAD/Revit/BIM), engineering, project management, delivery, installation, and repair services. It supplies a broad customer base across independent restaurants, multi-unit chains, casinos, hospitals, schools, hospitality, corporate, and government facilities.
Product overview
Stafford-Smith is a commercial foodservice equipment distributor and service company offering a one-stop solution for foodservice equipment needs. Their core offering includes distributing equipment from over 100 major foodservice equipment manufacturers, complemented by in-house design and engineering services (CAD, Revit, BIM), project management, delivery, installation, and refrigeration repair services. The company serves diverse customer segments including restaurants, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, entertainment venues (casinos, stadiums, arenas), multi-unit operators, business & industry, hospitality, retail, and secured facilities. They also provide custom fabrication services through their network of stainless steel, millwork, and furniture fabricators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Foodservice Equipment Distribution
Companies that use Stafford Smith
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Stafford Smith technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Stafford Smith partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- VollrathcoreVollrath provides hot, cold, frozen modular drop-in foodservice solutions. Stafford-Smith distributes Vollrath equipment as part of their product portfolio.
- HobartcoreStafford-Smith distributes Hobart commercial kitchen equipment including warewashing systems.
- True ManufacturingcoreStafford-Smith distributes True Manufacturing commercial refrigeration equipment.
- RationalcoreStafford-Smith distributes Rational professional cooking equipment including combi steamers.
- VulcancoreStafford-Smith distributes Vulcan cooking equipment as part of their foodservice equipment offerings.
- TraulsencoreStafford-Smith distributes Traulsen commercial refrigeration equipment.
- BlodgettcoreStafford-Smith distributes Blodgett commercial ovens and cooking equipment.
- CaptiveAirecoreStafford-Smith distributes CaptiveAire ventilation systems for foodservice applications.
- FrymastercoreStafford-Smith distributes Frymaster commercial frying equipment.
- ManitowoccoreStafford-Smith distributes Manitowoc ice machines and refrigeration equipment.
- CambrocoreStafford-Smith distributes Cambro food storage and display equipment.
- GarlandcoreStafford-Smith distributes Garland commercial cooking equipment.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stafford Smith competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edward Don & Company: Largest U.S. foodservice equipment distributor serving restaurants, hotels, healthcare, and institutions with design, equipment, and installation services. Directly comparable national scale competitor to Stafford-Smith across overlapping customer verticals.
- Tundra Restaurant Supply: Foodservice equipment and smallwares distributor serving restaurants, bars, and hospitality with both e-commerce and B2B contract channels. Comparable equipment and supplies offering to Stafford-Smith with overlapping independent restaurant customer base.
- Mission Restaurant Supply: Foodservice equipment and supplies distributor serving restaurants, hospitality, and institutions, with both online and contract sales channels. Overlapping product categories and customer segments with Stafford-Smith's independent restaurant and small chain focus.
- Bargreen Ellingson: Foodservice equipment and supplies distributor serving restaurants, hospitals, schools, and government facilities across the western U.S. with design, equipment, and installation — a directly comparable mid-sized regional foodservice distributor.
- The Boelter Companies: Foodservice equipment and supplies distributor headquartered in the Midwest, serving chain restaurants, healthcare, and hospitality with design, procurement, and installation. Closely comparable product offering and customer mix to Stafford-Smith.
- Sam Tell Companies: Northeast U.S. commercial foodservice equipment distributor serving restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, and institutions with design and project management services. Directly comparable business model and end markets to Stafford-Smith.
- Central Restaurant Products: U.S. foodservice equipment and supplies retailer/distributor with both online and contract sales channels serving independent restaurants and chains. Comparable product breadth and customer overlap, with stronger direct-to-customer digital presence.
- Hotel & Restaurant Supply (HRS): Foodservice equipment and supplies distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and institutions with a broad product catalog and project management services. Comparable distributor model and end-market focus to Stafford-Smith.
- Wasserstrom Company: Long-established U.S. foodservice equipment and supplies distributor serving chain restaurants, hospitality, and institutional customers with full design, equipment, and installation services. Same business model and customer verticals as Stafford-Smith.
Broad incumbents
- Webstaurant Store: Largest U.S. online foodservice equipment and supplies retailer, part of Clark Associates. Competes with Stafford-Smith across independent restaurant and chain customer segments, primarily through digital channels and broad catalog depth rather than design/installation services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stafford Smith social profiles
Digital presenceStafford Smith financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stafford Smith leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Stafford Smith funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stafford Smith 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 Stafford Smith
What does Stafford Smith do?
Stafford-Smith distributes commercial foodservice equipment (cooking, refrigeration, preparation, ventilation, storage) from major manufacturers and serves as a one-stop vendor for projects ranging from single-piece orders to stadium-scale installations. The company complements equipment sales with in-house layout and design (CAD/Revit/BIM), engineering, project management, delivery, installation, and repair services. It supplies a broad customer base across independent restaurants, multi-unit chains, casinos, hospitals, schools, hospitality, corporate, and government facilities.
Is Stafford Smith a public or private company?
Stafford Smith is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Stafford Smith founded?
Stafford Smith was founded in 1940. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Stafford Smith based?
Stafford Smith is headquartered in Kalamazoo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Stafford Smith make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are design and Engineering Services and installation and Service.
Who are Stafford Smith's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edward Don & Company, Tundra Restaurant Supply, Mission Restaurant Supply, Bargreen Ellingson, The Boelter Companies, Sam Tell Companies, Central Restaurant Products, Hotel & Restaurant Supply (HRS) and Wasserstrom Company. Webstaurant Store is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Stafford Smith have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stafford Smith.
What industry is Stafford Smith in?
Stafford Smith's product category is Commercial Foodservice Equipment Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIALAB, Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Equipment Wholesale, with a secondary code of AFAIALAI, Commercial Refrigeration & HVAC (Foodservice) Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 423740 and its SIC code is 5080.