Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc

What Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc does

Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc. (STS) is a privately held, founder-led specialty contractor founded in March 2011 in Mt. Crawford, Virginia, that provides thermal envelope and mechanical insulation services for commercial and industrial clients across the East Coast and Southeast United States. The company is organized around three core service lines: (1) Cold Storage Construction — design and erection of vapor-tight insulated metal panel (IMP) facilities, under-floor thermal block and glycol systems, cold storage doors, and rack-supported automated retrieval system (ARS) enclosures; (2) Thermal Envelope Services & IMP — IMP installation for cold storage, grow facilities (including medical marijuana, produce, and hatchery operations), food processing facilities, architectural panels, and fire-rated panels; and (3) Mechanical Insulation — pipe, vessel, duct, and equipment insulation for ammonia/CO2 cryogenic systems, steam, chill water, and process lines in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and aerospace facilities. Notable technical capabilities include custom IMP duct fabrication with stainless-steel interior finishes for USDA-compliant food processing, vapor-tight ammonia/CO2 insulation with aluminum and stainless jackets, and large-span construction (a signature project delivered a 192,000-square-foot freezer with panels up to 72 feet in height).

The business operates as a project-based direct contractor with no disclosed external funding, generating $1M in revenue in 2012, $8M in 2016, and over $22M in 2023, with 67+ employees by 2022 and a leadership team averaging 20+ years of trade experience. Customers are enterprise and mid-market commercial and industrial clients across food processing (poultry, pork, dairy, beverage), pharmaceutical cold chain, controlled-environment agriculture, and distribution — including named projects such as a $14M distribution facility near Richmond, VA (2022) and a $3.8M ARS project for a pharmaceutical client in Raleigh/Durham, NC (2021). Go-to-market is direct field sales through estimators, project managers, and sales engineers from two offices in Mt. Crawford (headquarters) and Chesapeake, VA (Hampton Roads), with project pricing customized per scope and multi-year contract cadence; revenue is recognized on a one-time project basis. The company is bootstrapped, founder-led (Scott Morlino serves as President/Co-Founder), and has not pursued disclosed M&A, partnerships beyond operational subcontractors (e.g., Prillaman's Crane and Rigging), or external capital.

Name

Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc

Legal name

Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc

Website

https://sthermalsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Thermal Solutions is a privately held Virginia-based specialty contractor providing insulated metal panel cold storage construction, thermal envelope services, and mechanical insulation for food processing, pharmaceutical, and industrial clients across the East Coast and Southeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Construction Services

NAICS

Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Room Panels, Doors & Seals Repair (HSAOAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chillers, Boilers & Central Plant Operations (BPABACAG)

Keywords

• Cold storage construction
• Mechanical insulation services
• Insulated metal panels
• Thermal envelope solutions
• Food processing insulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Crawford, Virginia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cold Storage Construction Services: Full-service cold storage contractor providing insulated metal panel construction, cold storage doors, under floor insulation, column blocks, and high-speed doors. Projects range from small facilities to massive 192,000+ square foot freezers.
2. Mechanical Insulation Services: Pipe, vessel, duct, and tank insulation services for ammonia, CO2, steam, chill water, and process systems. Services include fabrication, installation, and maintenance of insulation systems for commercial and industrial facilities.
3. Thermal Envelope Services: Complete thermal envelope solutions including insulated metal panels for walls, ceilings, grow facilities, food and beverage processing facilities, and IMP duct systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Southern Thermal Solutions is a full-service thermal construction contractor that supplies and installs insulated metal panel (IMP) envelopes for cold storage facilities, grow facilities, food processing plants, and automated retrieval system warehouses. The company also provides mechanical insulation services for pipes, vessels, ducts, and cryogenic systems (ammonia, CO2, steam, chill water) used in commercial and industrial facilities. Services span fabrication, installation, and ongoing maintenance with custom field fabrication to meet project-specific tolerances.

Product overview

Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc. is a service-based construction company offering thermal envelope solutions primarily for cold storage and food processing facilities. The core offerings include Cold Storage Construction (building vapor-tight insulated metal panel facilities), Thermal Envelope Services & IMP (insulated metal panels for various applications), and Mechanical Insulation (pipe, vessel, duct, and ammonia/CO2 systems). These services are offered as integrated construction solutions rather than a unified software platform. The company operates across multiple service categories including IMP Duct Systems for hygienic rooftop units, Grow Facilities for medical marijuana/produce/hatchery operations, and Automated Retrieval Services (ARS) cold storage construction. The product portfolio represents a comprehensive suite of thermal construction services with specialized capabilities for the food and beverage processing industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cold Storage Construction Full-service cold storage contracting for new construction and renovation of freezer and cooler facilities, including insulated metal panel installation, cold storage doors, under-floor insulation, column blocks, and high-speed doors. Projects range from small facilities to massive 192,000+ square foot freezers serving food preservation, distribution, and pharmaceutical clients.
• Thermal Envelope Services & Insulated Metal Panels (IMP) Comprehensive thermal envelope solutions supplying and installing insulated metal panels (IMP) for cold storage facilities, grow facilities, food and beverage processing facilities, automated retrieval services (ARS) facilities, IMP ductwork, architectural panels, and fire-rated panels. Delivered with on-time, on-budget project execution.
• Insulated Metal Panel (IMP) Duct Systems High-quality custom-fabricated IMP ductwork for hygienic rooftop units in food processing facilities, featuring smooth stainless-steel interior finishes supporting USDA inspections and sanitary operations, plus foam-sealed vapor barriers. STS has built thousands of feet of these ducts.
• Grow Facility Construction Construction services for controlled environment agriculture facilities including medical marijuana, produce, and hatchery grow facilities across the East Coast. Provides thermal envelope solutions supporting precise temperature and humidity control, energy efficiency, and vapor barrier integrity.
• Automated Retrieval Services (ARS) Cold Storage Construction Specialized construction for rack-supported automated retrieval system (ARS) cold storage facilities, featuring proprietary details and approaches that deliver high-quality, vapor-tight enclosures with maximum ceiling height and structural integrity.
• Mechanical Insulation Services Comprehensive mechanical insulation services for commercial and industrial facilities, including fabrication, installation, and maintenance of insulation for ammonia/CO2/cryogenic systems, steam and chill water systems, process piping for aerospace, pharmaceutical, poultry, pork, beef, dairy, packaging, and beverage facilities, vessels, and ducts.
• Ammonia and Cryogenic System Insulation Specialized vapor-tight insulation services for ammonia (NH3), CO2, and other cryogenic systems, featuring aluminum and stainless jackets, PVC color-coded options, and insulation media including styrofoam and poly ISO. Designed for industrial refrigeration and cryogenic process applications.
• Steam and Chill Water System Insulation Insulation services for steam and chill water distribution systems using fiberglass, Armaflex, calcium silicate, foam glass, removable blankets, styrofoam, and poly ISO. Supports energy efficiency and provides ROI assistance for upgrade decisions.
• Vessel Insulation Insulation services for oil pots, surge drums, recirculator packages, and associated piping, covering vertical and horizontal vessels with various insulation types from ammonia to steam applications.
• Duct Insulation Versatile duct insulation and weather-proofing services ranging from rigid board to flexible fiberglass, finished with metal wrap or PVC for fire proofing or R-value, suitable for indoor or outdoor, hot or cold applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 192,000 square foot freezer construction with single panels up to 72 feet in height
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Prillaman's Crane and RiggingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for crane and rigging services during construction of a massive 192,000-square-foot freezer project. Prillaman's expertise and equipment allowed for precise, safe installation of insulated metal panels spanning up to 72 feet in height. Their support was crucial in maintaining pace and protecting both product and personnel during one of the most technical phases of the build.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Big-D Construction: Salt Lake City, UT-based commercial and industrial contractor with cold storage and food processing capabilities. Comparable specialty contractor serving similar end markets, though geographically distinct from STS's East Coast footprint.
• Performance Contracting Group: National mechanical insulation and specialty contracting services firm. Directly comparable in mechanical insulation services for industrial and commercial clients, though significantly larger in scale and geographic footprint.
• Mader Construction: Specialty cold storage and industrial construction contractor serving food processing and distribution customers. Comparable specialty contractor in cold storage construction with similar end-market focus.
• A M King: Charlotte, NC-based design-build contractor specializing in cold storage, food processing, and industrial facilities. Directly comparable specialty contractor in size, scope, and target verticals; serves similar poultry, dairy, and beverage processors.
• Tippmann Group: Indianapolis, IN-based cold storage construction specialist with deep expertise in refrigerated and frozen distribution facilities. Directly comparable as a cold storage design-build competitor serving food distribution and processing end markets.

Broad incumbents

• EMCOR Group: Large mechanical and electrical services firm with commercial/industrial HVAC and mechanical insulation capabilities. Overlaps with STS's mechanical services but at vastly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• Stellar: Jacksonville, FL-based design-build firm with significant cold storage, food processing, and industrial refrigeration capabilities. Larger and broader portfolio than STS but operates in overlapping end markets and geographies.
• BrandSafway: Large industrial services company providing scaffolding, insulation, and specialty services to industrial customers. Overlaps with STS's mechanical insulation work but serves a broader portfolio of end markets and geographies.
• Brandt Companies: Dallas, TX-based mechanical services firm with mechanical insulation, HVAC, and industrial services. Comparable in service line offerings to STS's mechanical insulation business, though larger and more diversified.
• Shambaugh & Son: Fort Wayne, IN-based mechanical contractor with industrial mechanical insulation, HVAC, and refrigeration services. Comparable mechanical insulation service line for industrial clients, though larger in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-thermal-solutions-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Southern Thermal Solutions, Inc