Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc.

What Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc. does

Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc. is a full-service commercial and industrial HVAC contractor serving the Chicagoland market continuously since 1949, when it was founded as Northern Refrigeration and Engineering Company by William L. Hochschild, Jr. The employee-owned company, headquartered at 339 Anthony Trail, Northbrook, IL, delivers HVAC service and maintenance, building automation and controls, and design/build project execution across five vertical segments: medical facilities, manufacturing and industrial, multi-tenant properties, retail and commercial spaces, and warehouse and distribution. Mike Lee serves as President with 38+ years of company tenure, and the workforce exhibits a documented 17-year average employee tenure that signals strong institutional knowledge retention in a trades market where attrition is persistent.

The company's service portfolio spans three integrated practice areas. HVAC Service & Maintenance covers 24/7/365 emergency dispatch, planned preventive maintenance agreements structured per square foot or per equipment scope, equipment repair and replacement, boiler, air handler, and rooftop unit service, and commercial refrigeration. Building Automation & Controls delivers BAS design, installation, commissioning, retro-commissioning, operator training, and continuous remote monitoring with integration across Siemens, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Trane, Carrier, and ABB platforms — allowing unified front-end management of buildings whose underlying controls originate from different eras and vendors. HVAC Design/Build Services provide turnkey project delivery with in-house engineering, drafting, sheet metal fabrication, piping fabrication, manufacturer-independent equipment selection, and project management under a single contract, eliminating the design-firm/contractor finger-pointing typical of fragmented project teams. The company maintains EPA-certified technicians, ASHRAE 170 healthcare ventilation compliance capability, and OSHA-aligned industrial ventilation expertise, and operates a customer portal (portal.northernweathermakers.com) with QR-tagged equipment records, online bill payment, and service scheduling for maintenance agreement holders.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring maintenance agreements (tiered at 2x or 4x annual inspection cadence with filter and coil cleaning add-ons), emergency service and repair calls, design/build project contracts, and BAS installation and commissioning engagements. Pricing is quote-based and customized per facility profile, with no public rate cards. Customer acquisition is direct field sales, leveraging a 77-year regional brand, a 24/7 emergency phone line, and the company website; no channel partners, resellers, or paid marketing channels are identified. The company is privately held with no institutional investors, no parent or subsidiary entities, no public ticker, and no disclosed M&A history, and has remained wholly employee-owned with continuous operation across its 77+ year history.

Name

Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc.

Legal name

Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc.

Website

https://nwhvac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Northern Weathermakers HVAC is an employee-owned, full-service commercial and industrial HVAC contractor founded in 1949, serving Chicagoland medical, manufacturing, multi-tenant, retail, and warehouse facilities with maintenance, 24/7 emergency service, building automation, and design/build delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial HVAC Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Installation, Service & Repair (IMAIABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB), HVAC Service, Maintenance & Repair (BPABACAA)

Keywords

• Commercial HVAC services
• Building automation systems
• HVAC design build
• Industrial HVAC contractor
• HVAC maintenance agreements

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency HVAC Service & Repair: 24/7 emergency dispatch service for commercial HVAC failures. Revenue from after-hours service calls, parts, and labor. Priority response for maintenance agreement customers.
2. Planned Maintenance Agreements: Customized service agreements structured per square foot or per equipment scope. Includes seasonal inspections (2x or 4x per year), filter replacement programs, and preventive maintenance. Revenue recognized on a recurring basis.
3. Design/Build Projects: Full HVAC design and construction services from concept through commissioning. Single contracts covering engineering, fabrication, installation, and project management for new installations or major retrofits.
4. Building Automation & Controls: BAS design, installation, commissioning, and ongoing monitoring services. Retro-commissioning and operator training included.
5. Equipment Replacement: Complete equipment replacement from specification through commissioning. Coordinates utility rebates (ComEd, Nicor) and manages installation including crane lifts and controls integration.
6. Refrigeration Systems Service: Commercial refrigeration maintenance, repair, and compliance services for retail, food service, cold storage, and industrial applications. EPA-certified technicians handle current and next-generation refrigerant technologies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc. provides full-service commercial and industrial HVAC services to Chicagoland facilities, including 24/7 emergency service and repair, customized planned maintenance agreements, complete equipment replacement, design/build HVAC construction with in-house engineering and fabrication, and multi-platform building automation system (BAS) installation, integration, and remote monitoring. The company serves medical, manufacturing, multi-tenant, retail, and warehouse/distribution facilities with EPA-certified refrigeration technicians, ASHRAE 170-compliant medical HVAC capability, and manufacturer-independent equipment selection across major brands.

Product overview

Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc. is a full-service commercial HVAC company offering a unified portfolio of services organized around three core offerings: HVAC Service & Maintenance (emergency repair, preventive maintenance, equipment replacement, boilers, air handlers, rooftop units, and refrigeration), Building Automation & Controls (BAS design, installation, multi-platform integration, energy optimization, remote monitoring, and commissioning), and HVAC Design/Build Services (in-house engineering, sheet metal fabrication, piping, and project management). These core services are delivered across five market segments — Medical Facilities, Manufacturing & Industrial, Multi-Tenant Properties, Retail & Commercial Spaces, and Warehouse & Distribution — with additional support through a Customer Portal and customizable Commercial HVAC Maintenance Agreements. The company operates manufacturer-independently, integrating with Siemens, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Trane, Carrier, and ABB building automation platforms, and serves all major equipment brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVAC Service & Maintenance Full-spectrum commercial HVAC service for Chicagoland facilities covering 24/7 emergency dispatch, planned maintenance agreements, equipment repair, equipment replacement, boiler service, air handler service, rooftop unit service, and refrigeration systems.
• Building Automation & Controls Building automation systems (BAS) design, installation, commissioning, retro-commissioning, multi-platform integration across Siemens, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Trane, Carrier, and ABB, remote monitoring and diagnostics, energy optimization, and operator training for commercial facilities.
• HVAC Design/Build Services Turnkey HVAC design and construction services for commercial facilities covering in-house engineering, drafting, sheet metal fabrication, piping fabrication, manufacturer-independent equipment selection, procurement, and project management under a single contract from concept through commissioning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dirty coils can cut cooling capacity 20% or more and drive up compressor wear
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Murphy Company: Mechanical construction and service firm in the Midwest providing HVAC, plumbing, and process piping for commercial and industrial customers. Comparable in full-service mechanical contracting model, design/build capabilities, and long-standing regional presence.
• The Waldinger Corporation: Midwest-based mechanical contractor offering HVAC service, design/build, and fabrication across commercial and industrial customers. Comparable in regional multi-state scope, in-house fabrication capabilities, and integrated service-plus-project delivery model.
• Kelso-Burnett Company: Long-established Chicago-area mechanical and HVAC contractor serving commercial, industrial, and institutional customers. Closely comparable in regional footprint, vertical mix (healthcare, manufacturing, multi-tenant), and full-service capabilities including service, design/build, and controls.

Broad incumbents

• Johnson Controls: Global building automation, HVAC equipment, and services provider. Comparable in building automation integration capability and commercial HVAC service breadth, but operates as a manufacturer-incumbent with national service infrastructure rather than a regional specialty contractor.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Global building automation and HVAC controls provider. Comparable in BAS design and integration for commercial buildings, but operates at a global incumbent scale rather than as a regional specialty contractor.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Global provider of building automation, HVAC controls, and energy management solutions. Comparable in commercial building automation and controls work, but as a manufacturer-incumbent with national service delivery rather than an independent regional contractor.
• Carrier Global: Global HVAC, refrigeration, and building automation manufacturer with a sizable commercial service organization. Comparable in commercial refrigeration and HVAC service breadth, but with manufacturer-affiliated scale and broader geographic reach.
• Comfort Systems USA: National mechanical contractor focused on HVAC, plumbing, and building automation services for commercial and industrial customers. Directly comparable service offering (HVAC service, maintenance, controls) but with nationwide scale and public-company access to acquisition capital.
• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC equipment manufacturer and service provider. Comparable in commercial HVAC service, controls, and equipment replacement, but is a manufacturer-affiliated incumbent rather than a vendor-independent regional contractor.
• EMCOR Group: National leader in mechanical and electrical construction, building services, and industrial services. Overlaps broadly in commercial HVAC service, maintenance, and design/build but operates at a vastly larger national scale across many trades and verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northern-weathermakers-hvac-inc

Compliance4 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 Northern Weathermakers HVAC, Inc.