Alfa Cantor

What Alfa Cantor does

Alfa Cantor is an EPA-approved refrigerant reclaimer founded in 2014 and headquartered in Aledo, Texas. The company provides integrated refrigerant management services across three core lines: recovery (on-site extraction of refrigerants from HVAC systems ranging from basement chillers to rooftop units), buyback (purchase of recovered and unused refrigerants from HVAC contractors with free freight arrangements), and sales (distribution of ARI-700 specification reclaimed refrigerants in multiple cylinder and drum sizes). It also offers a cylinder exchange program maintaining freshly-painted, in-date recovery cylinders, a customer portal for EPA compliance documentation, and CFC refrigerant sourcing with carbon credit eligibility processing for legacy refrigerants.

The underlying technology is physical and chemical rather than software-driven. Alfa Cantor employs laboratory-grade gas chromatography (GC) for refrigerant purity verification and maintains a fleet of hydro-test-dated recovery cylinders across pressure ratings and sizes. It handles 24+ refrigerant types including legacy refrigerants (R-22, R-134a, R-404A, R-11, R-12, R-123) and newer low-GWP options (R-454B, R-1234yf, R-1233zd, R-32). The company claims 1,200+ clients served and 4,625,000+ metric tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions saved through reclamation activities.

Alfa Cantor operates a sales-led B2B model targeting HVAC contractors and facility managers of commercial and industrial facilities nationwide. Revenue is generated through transactional refrigerant sales, buyback spread (purchasing recovered refrigerants and reselling reclaimed product), and project-based recovery service fees, with all pricing provided via individualized quotes rather than public rate cards. Distribution is direct via phone, email, online forms, and a self-service portal. Notable enterprise engagements include recovery projects for AT&T, Boeing, Bell Helicopter, DFW International Airport, Intel, NIST, Bristol Myers Squibb, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Lexmark. The company partners with A.C.R.E. of Texas to bundle HVAC equipment recycling with refrigerant recovery. It is privately held with no disclosed funding history or revenue figures.

Name

Alfa Cantor

Legal name

Alfa Cantor

Website

https://alfacantor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alfa Cantor is an EPA-approved refrigerant reclaimer providing nationwide recovery, buyback, and sales services for 24+ refrigerant types to HVAC contractors and commercial facility managers, with a self-reported client base of 1,200+.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refrigerant Reclamation Services

NAICS

Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (8113), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42374), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAOAHAL

Refrigerant Leak Detection, Recovery & Recharge Services

Home & Personal Services/Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC Services/HVAC Repair, Maintenance & Tune-Ups

SECONDARYHSAOAJAE

Refrigerant Leak Detection, Recovery & Recharge

Home & Personal Services/Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC Services/Refrigeration & Walk-In Cooler Service

SECONDARYBPALAIAK

Appliance (White Goods) Recycling & Refrigerant Recovery

Business & Public Services/Waste Management & Remediation Services/Electronic Waste (E-waste) Recycling & IT Asset Disposition (ITAD)

Keywords

• Refrigerant reclamation
• Refrigerant recovery services
• HVAC refrigerant supply
• Refrigerant buyback program
• EPA-compliant refrigerants

Headquarters

HQ city

Aledo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refrigerant Sales: Alfa Cantor sells a comprehensive range of ARI-700 specification refrigerants including R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-404A, R-407A/C, R-422B/D, R-438A, R-448A, R-449A, R-507, R-11, R-12, R-123, R-421A, R-427A, R-452A, R-513A, R-407F, R-1233zd, R-454B, R-1234yf, R-1234ze, and R-32. Products are available in drums, disposable cylinders, 100-125 lb cylinders, and 800-1000 lb bulk cylinders. Revenue is generated through one-time transactional sales with pricing provided via individualized quotes.
2. Refrigerant Buyback Program: Alfa Cantor purchases recovered and unused refrigerants from HVAC contractors through its buyback program. The company pays competitive rates for refrigerants including R-11, R-22, R-123, R-134a, R-410A, R-407C, and more. The program includes free freight arrangements for cylinder pickup and exchange, with prompt payment upon receipt and verification.
3. Refrigerant Recovery Services: Alfa Cantor provides professional refrigerant recovery services for various systems ranging from basement chillers to rooftop units, nationwide. The company deploys EPA-certified technicians equipped with state-of-the-art recovery equipment. Recovery services are offered for all refrigerant types including low and high-pressure refrigerants, with competitive fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Alfa Cantor is an EPA-approved refrigerant reclaimer that recovers used refrigerants from HVAC systems, purchases recovered/unused refrigerants through a buyback program, and resells ARI-700 specification reclaimed refrigerants in various cylinder and drum sizes. The company also provides cylinder exchange services, EPA-compliant reporting via a customer portal, and CFC refrigerant sourcing for carbon credit purposes, serving HVAC contractors, facility managers, and commercial/industrial businesses nationwide.

Product overview

Alfa Cantor operates as an EPA-certified refrigerant reclaimer offering an integrated service portfolio for the HVAC industry. The core offerings consist of three interconnected services: Refrigerant Recovery Services (extracting refrigerants from various systems nationwide), the Refrigerant Buyback Program (purchasing recovered refrigerants with free freight and prompt payment), and Refrigerant Sales (selling ARI-700 specification reclaimed refrigerants). These are supported by a Cylinder Exchange Program for fleet maintenance and a Customer Portal for compliance documentation access. The company also partners with A.C.R.E. of Texas for HVAC equipment recycling. The refrigerant product line spans over 24 types including R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-404A, R-123, and newer refrigerants like R-454B and R-1234yf, available in multiple cylinder sizes. The company emphasizes its role in the circular economy of refrigerants, enabling sustainable reclamation and reuse for HVAC contractors and facility managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refrigerant Buyback Program Program that purchases recovered and unused refrigerants from HVAC contractors, offering competitive pricing and free freight arrangements for cylinder pickup and exchange, with prompt payment upon receipt and verification. Targets refrigerants including R-11, R-22, R-123, R-134a, R-410A, R-407C, and others.
• Refrigerant Recovery Services EPA-certified on-site recovery services for all refrigerant types and system sizes, ranging from basement chillers to rooftop units, nationwide. EPA-certified technicians deploy state-of-the-art recovery equipment and handle both low and high-pressure refrigerants.
• Refrigerant Sales (ARI-700 Specification) Sales of ARI-700 specification reclaimed refrigerants including R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-404A, R-407A/C, R-422B/D, R-438A, R-448A, R-449A, R-507, R-11, R-12, R-123, R-421A, R-427A, R-452A, R-513A, R-407F, R-1233zd, R-454B, R-1234yf, R-1234ze, and R-32, available in drums, disposable cylinders, 100-125 lb cylinders, and 800-1000 lb bulk cylinders.
• Cylinder Exchange Program Fleet maintenance service providing like-for-like freshly-painted, in-date recovery cylinders in all shapes, sizes, and pressure ratings to replace recovered cylinders for hassle-free exchanges.
• HVAC Equipment Recycling On-site HVAC equipment recycling and refrigerant evacuation service delivered through partner A.C.R.E. of Texas, providing customers with a single point of contact for both HVAC equipment disposal and refrigerant recovery.
• CFC Refrigerant Sourcing Carbon-credit-eligible CFC refrigerant sourcing service for refrigerants including R-12, R-11, R-500, R-113, R-114, and R-115, enabling customers to capture carbon credit value from recovered CFCs.
• Refrigerant Product Portfolio Comprehensive catalog of reclaimed refrigerants organized into common types (R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-404A), less common types (R-11, R-12, R-123), and newer low-GWP refrigerants (R-1233zd, R-454B, R-1234yf), available in multiple cylinder sizes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,625,000+ metric tonnes of CO2 Equivalent emissions saved through refrigerant reclamation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• A.C.R.E. of TexascoreOthersAlfa Cantor partners with A.C.R.E. (Air Conditioning Recycling Entity) of Texas for HVAC equipment recycling and recovery services. This partnership extends Alfa Cantor's service capabilities by providing on-site convenience for customers, with A.C.R.E. of Texas handling the physical HVAC equipment recycling while Alfa Cantor manages refrigerant recovery. The partnership offers competitive rates for refrigerants, expert evacuation services, and burden-free solutions for customers looking to dispose of HVAC equipment responsibly.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• A-Gas: A-Gas is a global refrigerant lifecycle management company that recovers, reclaims, and supplies HFCs, HFOs, and CFCs across multiple continents. Its U.S. operations compete directly with Alfa Cantor for refrigerant recovery, reclamation, and supply contracts from HVAC contractors and industrial facility owners.
• Hudson Technologies: Hudson Technologies is the largest publicly-traded EPA-approved refrigerant reclaimer in the United States, offering refrigerant reclamation, recovery, and sales (Recla-Blend™) directly comparable to Alfa Cantor's service portfolio. Both companies serve HVAC contractors and large facility operators with ARI-700 reclaimed refrigerants and on-site recovery services.
• Refrigerant Finders: Refrigerant Finders is a U.S. refrigerant broker and buyback specialist that purchases retired refrigerants from contractors and resells to ARI-700 reclaimers. It competes with Alfa Cantor for buyback volume and offers a similar buyback/recovery/sales service model to mid-sized HVAC contractors.

Broad incumbents

• Trane Technologies: Trane Technologies is a global HVAC equipment OEM and service provider whose service contracts include refrigerant management for large commercial and institutional customers. As a broad incumbent, it engages with refrigerant end-of-life and recovery through its own service network and supplies data that flows toward reclamation providers like Alfa Cantor.
• Mexichem / Orbia (Koura): Orbia's Koura division is one of the world's largest producers of fluorochemicals and refrigerants, particularly serving Latin American and select U.S. markets. As a major virgin-refrigerant producer, it is a broader incumbent that competes indirectly with reclaimed refrigerants in the supply chain.
• Clean Harbors: Clean Harbors is the largest North American provider of environmental, energy, and industrial services, including bulk waste disposal of regulated refrigerants and field services for large facility decommissioning. It is a broader incumbent that addresses part of Alfa Cantor's refrigerant recovery and disposal opportunity set.
• Carrier Global: Carrier Global is one of the world's largest HVAC and refrigeration equipment manufacturers, with installed-base service programs that touch refrigerant recovery during equipment replacement. It is a broad incumbent in the same refrigerant value chain rather than a reclamation specialist.
• Chemours (Freon™ / Opteon™): Chemours is the dominant North American manufacturer of legacy HFC refrigerants (Freon™) and newer HFO refrigerants (Opteon™), setting the pricing and supply benchmarks that Alfa Cantor's reclaimed-refurbished products compete against. It is a broad incumbent in the refrigerant category rather than a direct reclaimer.
• Heritage-Crystal Clean: Heritage-Crystal Clean is a publicly-traded environmental services company whose Environmental Services segment handles refrigerant reclamation alongside used oil and hazardous waste recovery. Its broader service portfolio and public-company capital base make it a broader incumbent competing for refrigerant-related environmental work.

Emerging players

• Tradewater: Tradewater is an emerging emissions-control company that collects and destroys high-GWP refrigerants and other ozone-depleting substances, monetizing credits for the avoided emissions. It competes with Alfa Cantor's CFC Sourcing/buyback program for the same stockpile of retired ODS refrigerants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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 Alfa Cantor