FRIO RAF

What FRIO RAF does

FRIO RAF S.A. is a privately held Argentine industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturer founded in 1963 in Rafaela, Santa Fe, by Polish immigrant Juan Estanislao Szewc. The company designs, engineers, manufactures, and delivers turnkey ammonia-based industrial refrigeration systems — including heat exchangers (evaporators, cooling tunnels, ice producers, air handling units, Baudelot coolers), condensers (evaporative and tubular), reciprocating and screw compressors (up to ~2,000 HP), ASME-coded pressure vessels (liquid receivers, recirculation units, liquid traps), automated control systems with remote access, and compact packaged refrigeration systems — to enterprise customers across meat, dairy, fruit, beverage, fishing, chemical, petrochemical, and cold-storage industries. Its business model is project-based equipment manufacturing with custom quotations per project, supplemented by a comprehensive after-sales service stream (technical maintenance, compressor repairs, vibration analysis, thermography, remote monitoring, and operator training) backed by eight service bases in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia, plus permanently stocked original spare parts.

The company operates from a 10,000 m² covered manufacturing facility with 100+ employees, holding ASME U-Stamp (#38.152) and R-Stamp (#R-8538) certifications that enable international pressure-vessel supply. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales from Rafaela with regional channel partners (Proyectos y Servicios Industriales S.A. in Paraguay, ACROBAL S.A. / MANFRIG in Uruguay) and a regional representative in Alto Valle, Argentina. Second-generation family leadership — Francisco Szewc (General Manager) and Fernando Szewc (Commercial Manager) — runs day-to-day operations, while the founder remains active at age 95. Strategic supplier relationships with Thermofin (European heat-exchanger partner), Danfoss (valves and controls including the ICF platform), Witt (hermetic ammonia pumps), and Bitzer (compressors) underpin the technology stack. FRIO RAF maintains membership in IIAR, ASHRAE, IIF, ASME, and the Argentine Association of Refrigeration (AAFRIO), and actively participates in international events such as Chillventa and EuroBLECH.

Name

FRIO RAF

Legal name

FRÍO-RAF S.A.

Website

https://frioraf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FRIO RAF S.A. is a 60-year-old Argentine manufacturer that designs, builds, and services turnkey ammonia-based industrial refrigeration systems — compressors, condensers, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and controls — for enterprise food-processing, cold-storage, and chemical customers across Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Refrigeration Equipment

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems (IMAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compressors, Refrigeration Components & Condensing Units (IMADANAG)

Keywords

• Industrial refrigeration equipment
• Heat exchangers manufacturing
• Ammonia refrigeration systems
• Industrial compressors
• Cold storage solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Rafaela

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing: Design, manufacture, and sale of industrial refrigeration equipment including heat exchangers, compressors, condensers, evaporators, pressure vessels, and compact refrigeration systems. Equipment is delivered turnkey according to customer requirements.
2. After-Sales Service and Maintenance: Comprehensive technical service including operation and maintenance of refrigeration systems, compressor repairs, ammonia pump repairs, vibration analysis, thermography, laser shaft alignment, remote monitoring, and operator training. Stock of original spare parts maintained permanently, 365 days per year.
3. Engineering and Design Services: Technical and engineering services for project design, engineering, and quotation of industrial refrigeration installations for various sectors including meat, dairy, produce, chemical, petrochemical, wine, fishing, beverage industries and cold storage facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FRIO RAF designs, manufactures, and delivers turnkey industrial refrigeration equipment and systems, including heat exchangers, evaporative and tubular condensers, reciprocating and screw compressors, ASME-certified pressure vessels, automated control systems, and compact packaged refrigeration units. The company serves meat, dairy, fruit, chemical, petrochemical, fishing, beverage, and cold storage industries across Latin America, complemented by comprehensive after-sales service and a permanent stock of original spare parts.

Product overview

FRIO RAF is an Argentine industrial refrigeration company that engineers, designs, manufactures, and delivers turnkey industrial refrigeration solutions. Its product portfolio is organized into eight core product families: (1) Heat Exchangers — a broad sub-family including standard and tubular evaporators, rapid and variable retention cooling tunnels, cylindrical and flake ice producers, ice banks, air handling units, insulated/penthouse coolers, Baudelot liquid coolers, and plate heat exchangers; (2) Condensers — divided into evaporative condensers (FSI-N galvanized, FSI-SS stainless steel, FSI-W on request) and tubular shell-and-tube condensers; (3) Compressors — both reciprocating (piston, up to ~250HP) and screw (up to ~2,000HP) types, offered standalone and within compact systems; (4) Compact Refrigeration Systems — turnkey outdoor-rated units incorporating reciprocating or screw compressors with locally designed automation; (5) Pressure Vessels — liquid receivers, liquid traps, and recirculation units (with integrated Witt ammonia pumps), all built to ASME code; (6) Control Systems — automated monitoring and control replacing manual machine-room operations; and (7) Accessories — non-condensable gas purgers and pre-assembled valve quadros using the Danfoss ICF multiválvula platform. The company serves the meat, dairy, fruit, chemical, petrochemical, fishing, beverage, and cold storage industries across Latin America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heat Exchangers (Intercambiadores de Calor) Heat exchanger product family for industrial refrigeration, encompassing evaporators (standard airflow, tubular), rapid and variable retention cooling tunnels, cylindrical and flake ice producers, ice banks, air handling units, insulated and penthouse coolers, Baudelot liquid coolers, and plate heat exchangers, used across food processing, dairy, chemical, petrochemical, fisheries, beverage, and cold storage industries.
• Condensers (Condensadores) Condenser product family for industrial refrigeration systems, comprising evaporative condensers (FSI-N galvanized, FSI-SS stainless steel) with capacities 170-4000 kW and tubular shell-and-tube condensers up to 1,800 kW/h for ammonia and halogen refrigerants.
• Compressors (Compresores) Industrial compressor product line with reciprocating piston compressors from 25,000 to 850,000 Kcal/hour (~250 HP) and double-screw compressors up to 5,000,000 Kcal/hour (~2,000 HP), featuring microprocessor control, infinite capacity regulation (10-100%), and operation down to -45°C.
• Compact Refrigeration Systems (Sistemas Frigoríficos Compactos) Turnkey compact refrigeration units incorporating reciprocating or screw compressors with locally designed automation systems and outdoor-rated enclosures, designed for meat, dairy, fruit, chemical, petrochemical, fishing, beverage industries, and cold storage.
• Pressure Vessels (Recipientes Sometidos a Presión) ASME-code pressure vessel sub-family including liquid receivers (up to 2,400mm diameter), liquid traps, and packaged recirculation units with integrated Witt ammonia pumps (5,000-30,000 L/h) for ammonia and halogen refrigerants, built to ASME Section VIII standards.
• Control Systems (Sistemas de Control) Automated control systems that replace traditional manual machine room control, featuring data logging, friendly custom screens, multi-station access, full parameter/alarm/set-point visualization, and remote technical support via internet.
• Accessories (Accesorios) Refrigeration system accessories including automatic non-condensable gas purgers for ammonia installations (essential below -33°C evaporation) and pre-assembled valve quadros built on the Danfoss ICF multiválvula platform for compact valve management.
• After-Sales Service and Maintenance (Servicio PosVenta) Comprehensive technical after-sales service for industrial refrigeration systems, including operation and maintenance, compressor and ammonia pump repairs, vibration analysis, thermography, laser shaft alignment, remote monitoring, operator training, and 365-day original spare parts availability.
• Engineering and Design Services (Departamento de Ingeniería) Technical and engineering services for project design, engineering, and quotation of industrial refrigeration installations for meat, dairy, fruit, chemical, petrochemical, wine, fishing, beverage industries, and cold storage facilities, delivered by trained technicians and engineers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment capacities from 25,000 Kcal/hour (25HP) to 5,000,000 Kcal/hour (2,000HP)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• ThermofincoreTechnology or IntegrationEuropean manufacturing partner and supplier for heat exchanger technology. Thermofin is FRIO RAF's commercial partner in the old continent. FRIO RAF visited Thermofin's stand at Chillventa 2024 and maintains close collaboration on heat exchanger products including condensers and evaporators. The partnership includes technology transfer and product collaboration for the South American market.
• DanfosscoreTechnology or IntegrationKey supplier of refrigeration components including valves, controls, and automation systems. FRIO RAF uses Danfoss ICF multi-valve platforms and other Danfoss products in their equipment. FRIO RAF visited Danfoss facilities in Germany as part of supplier relationship strengthening.
• WittcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of ammonia pumps and refrigeration components. Witt hermetic pumps with capacities from 5,000 to 30,000 liters/hour are incorporated into FRIO RAF's recirculation units.
• BitzercoreTechnology or IntegrationCompressor manufacturer and supplier of refrigeration compression technology. FRIO RAF visited Bitzer facilities in Germany as part of their supplier relationship strengthening activities.
• RQS S.A. (Refrigeration Quality Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company specializing in technical services and non-destructive testing. RQS S.A. provides specialized services including non-destructive testing, training, and technical support. The two companies collaborate on service delivery and training for FRIO RAF customers.
• Proyectos y Servicios Industriales S.A.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional representative in Paraguay located in Villa Elisa. Represents FRIO RAF products and services in the Paraguayan market.
• ACROBAL S.A. - MANFRIGregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional representative in Uruguay located in Montevideo. Represents FRIO RAF products and services in the Uruguayan market.
• Red AlimentariaregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry organization that organizes refrigeration conferences and professional development events. FRIO RAF participates in and sponsors events organized by Red Alimentaria including Industrial Refrigeration Courses and professional conferences on energy efficiency.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Refrigeration Technologies: Division of GEA Group, one of the world's largest suppliers of industrial refrigeration systems and components for food processing, cold storage, and chemical applications. A broader incumbent that competes with FRIO RAF on large turnkey projects in food and dairy while offering a much wider portfolio and global footprint.
• Johnson Controls Industrial Refrigeration (YORK): Global HVAC and industrial refrigeration incumbent offering YORK-branded chillers, compressors, and ammonia refrigeration packages. Overlaps with FRIO RAF in cold storage and food processing but as part of a much larger portfolio that includes commercial HVAC, controls, and building services.

Direct peers

• Star Refrigeration: UK-based industrial refrigeration engineering company specializing in ammonia and low-charge refrigerant systems for cold storage, food processing, and process cooling. Highly comparable to FRIO RAF as a specialist engineering-led player delivering turnkey industrial refrigeration solutions.
• Mayekawa: Japanese manufacturer of industrial refrigeration systems, particularly ammonia-based and natural-refrigerant installations for food, cold storage, and process cooling. Closely comparable to FRIO RAF in ammonia refrigeration technology and customer verticals, with a strong presence across Latin America.
• Thermofin: German manufacturer of heat exchangers, evaporators, condensers, and dry coolers for industrial and commercial refrigeration. Direct peer to FRIO RAF on the heat-exchanger product line; explicitly FRIO RAF's European technology partner, making it the closest comparable by product portfolio and engineering approach.
• Bitzer: German manufacturer of refrigeration compressors (reciprocating, screw, and scroll) widely used in industrial and commercial refrigeration. Direct peer on the compressor product line that FRIO RAF both manufactures and sources from Bitzer; serves the same ammonia and HFC system builders globally.
• KGN International: Spanish industrial refrigeration engineering and equipment company delivering turnkey ammonia and CO2 refrigeration installations across Europe, Latin America, and North Africa. Comparable to FRIO RAF in custom-engineered industrial refrigeration for food processing, cold storage, and dairy, with overlapping customer verticals.
• Frascold: Italian manufacturer of semi-hermetic and screw compressors for industrial and commercial refrigeration. Comparable to FRIO RAF on the compressor manufacturing side and competing in similar Latin American and European food-processing and cold-storage applications.

Others

• Danfoss Cooling: Danish manufacturer of refrigeration valves, controls, sensors, and compressors (including the ICF multi-valve platform integrated into FRIO RAF's valve quadros). Functions as a key component supplier and technology partner rather than a competing system integrator, but directly enables FRIO RAF's product capability.
• Witt Gasetechnik: German specialist in hermetic ammonia pumps and gas detection equipment used in industrial refrigeration systems. Witt ammonia pumps (5,000–30,000 L/h) are integrated into FRIO RAF's recirculation units, making it both a component supplier and an adjacent capability peer in ammonia refrigeration.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FrioRaf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frio-raf

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 FRIO RAF