What INSULATION & REFRACTORIES SERVICES, INC. does

Insulation & Refractories Services, Inc. (IRS) is a privately held industrial and commercial specialty contractor headquartered at 462 Decatur in Memphis, Tennessee, founded in 1968. The company delivers four integrated service lines: insulation services (condensation control, personnel protection, cryogenic applications, energy conservation, acoustical treatment, fire protection, thermal coating, removable insulation, and piping/tank lagging), refractory services (design, installation, maintenance, and plant turn-around using materials such as alumina brick, monolithic linings, ceramic fiber, and gunite), distribution services (24/7 onsite inventory of roughly 250,000 SF covering board, blanket, sheet metal, fiberglass, mineral wool, PVC, elastomeric, and ceramic fiber products), and engineering services (heat transfer analysis, economic thickness calculations, OSHA compliance, corrosion and abrasion design, acoustical design, and fire protection system design). The Memphis facility is positioned as a central U.S. distribution hub accessible via I-40 and I-55, and the company serves industrial plants and commercial facilities across the MidSouth region and nationally on a project basis with 24/7 emergency response.

The business model combines project-based professional services (engineering, design, installation, maintenance, and plant turn-arounds) with direct material distribution to industrial and commercial customers. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with a website-driven quote-request funnel and a quarterly customer newsletter supporting mid-funnel engagement. The company emphasizes safety credentials, having received multiple Gold Safety Awards from Liberty Mutual (2014, 2015, 2017) tied to a lost-time accident frequency rate reported as 80% better than the construction industry average per Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Customer segments are organized vertically into industrial plants (process pipe, conveyors, vessels, tanks, equipment; refractory lining; plant maintenance and turn-arounds) and commercial facilities (building insulation, fire protection, HVAC duct insulation, condensation control), addressing pain points such as energy waste, personnel safety hazards, process inefficiency, equipment corrosion, code compliance, and plant downtime.

Name

INSULATION & REFRACTORIES SERVICES, INC.

Legal name

Insulation & Refractories Services, Inc.

Website

https://irs2.cc

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Insulation & Refractories Services, Inc. is a privately held Memphis-based specialty contractor founded in 1968 that provides industrial and commercial insulation, refractory, engineering, and 24/7 material distribution services across the MidSouth and nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Insulation and Refractory Services

NAICS

Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310), Clay Building Material and Refractories Manufacturing (32712), Mineral Wool Manufacturing (327993)

SIC

Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Mechanical Insulation & Pipefitting Support Services (IMAIABAL)

Keywords

• Industrial insulation services
• Refractory installation services
• Thermal engineering services
• Insulation material distribution
• Fire protection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Installation Services: Project-based installation services for insulation and refractory applications including design, installation, maintenance, and plant turn-around services for industrial and commercial facilities.
2. Material Distribution: Sale and distribution of insulation and refractory materials including fiberglass, mineral wool, sheet metal, PVC products, ceramic fiber products, alumina brick, and monolithic linings. Materials can be purchased separately or with installation services.
3. Engineering Services: Professional engineering services including application recommendations, heat transfer analysis, OSHA compliance, economic thickness calculations, fire protection systems, and corrosion design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Insulation & Refractories Services, Inc. provides industrial and commercial thermal insulation and refractory solutions for process pipe, conveyors, vessels, tanks, and equipment. The company's offerings span four service lines—insulation, refractory, distribution, and engineering—covering design, installation, maintenance, and plant turn-around projects. A 24/7 distribution center in Memphis supplies fiberglass, mineral wool, sheet metal, PVC, ceramic fiber, alumina brick, monolithic linings, and gunite materials either bundled with installation services or sold separately.

Product overview

Insulation & Refractories Services, Inc. is a service-oriented company providing a unified portfolio of four integrated service lines: Insulation Services, Refractory Services, Distribution Services, and Engineering Services. Founded in 1968, the company operates as an industry leader serving the industrial and commercial needs of the Mid-South and throughout the United States. The Distribution Services component supports the other three service lines by maintaining a comprehensive inventory of materials. Engineering Services provides technical expertise and analysis to support insulation and refractory applications. Together, these services enable the company to offer complete project solutions from material supply through design, installation, and maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insulation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Lost time accident frequency rate 80% better than construction industry average (as measured by Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Performance Contracting Group: One of the largest U.S. mechanical insulation and specialty contracting firms serving industrial and commercial customers. Directly comparable to IRS in insulation installation, fabrication, and distribution, but at substantially greater scale.
• Champion Industrial Contractors: Industrial insulation and scaffolding contractor serving power, petrochemical, and manufacturing customers. Closely comparable to IRS in scope of industrial insulation services and target customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan Advanced Materials: Global manufacturer of high-performance ceramic and refractory products used in industrial thermal applications. Adjacent comparable to IRS's refractory services and ceramic fiber material offerings.
• Owens Corning: Large manufacturer of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites with a significant industrial and commercial insulation business. Comparable to IRS via the materials side of its distribution business.
• Knauf Insulation: Global manufacturer of fiberglass and mineral wool insulation products for building and industrial applications. Comparable to IRS's distribution business for fiberglass, mineral wool, and related insulation materials.
• Saint-Gobain (CertainTeed Insulation): Global building materials group with a major North American insulation business serving industrial and commercial customers. Comparable to IRS in mechanical and industrial insulation materials and applications.
• Johns Manville: Major manufacturer of insulation, roofing, and engineered products, including industrial mechanical insulation. Overlaps with IRS's material distribution and insulation installation offerings.
• HarbisonWalker International: Leading North American manufacturer of refractory products and installation services for high-temperature industrial applications. Comparable to IRS's refractory services line, but at a national manufacturing-and-installation scale.
• BrandSafway: Major industrial services provider offering scaffolding, access, insulation, and coatings to plants across multiple end markets. Overlaps with IRS in industrial insulation and refractory-related services but operates as a much larger, multi-service incumbent.

Emerging players

• Resco Products: Refractory products manufacturer serving steel, aluminum, cement, and other high-temperature process industries. Comparable to IRS's refractory materials and installation offering, with a stronger product-manufacturing orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/insulation-&-refractories-services-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 INSULATION & REFRACTORIES SERVICES, INC.