The Turner School

What The Turner School does

The Turner School is a privately-held, New York City-based continuing education institution founded in 1945 by Wesley Turner. It specializes in preparing individual candidates for the NYC Refrigeration Machine Operator Examination administered by the Bureau of Fire Prevention, which is required to obtain a Certificate of Qualification for roles such as Watch Engineer, Custodian, or Superintendent in NYC commercial buildings, hospitals, and schools. Its customer base consists of current and aspiring building operations professionals — chief engineers, building managers, watch engineers, custodians, and superintendents — pursuing initial certification or career advancement through compliance with NYC Fire Department licensing requirements. The school also holds memberships in ASHRAE, ACCA, and the US Green Building Council, and is dually licensed by the New York State Education Department and the New York Fire Department.

The school's core product is the Refrigeration Machine Operator Written Exam Course, priced at $5,700 full payment or $6,150 on a weekly/monthly payment plan, offered in In-Person (Tuesdays/Thursdays 6-10pm) and Hybrid Online (Saturdays 4-10pm or Sundays 8am-2pm) formats. It has expanded into adjacent curriculum with an A2L (mildly flammable refrigerant) Certification Course and offers the Turner Simulator — a practice tool for the practical exam — complimentary to graduates of the Written course. Online delivery is built on Canvas LMS (Instructure) for coursework, practice quizzes, presentations, and flash software, while the Method-powered student portal handles billing, enrollment history, and document submission. The technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS integrations with no disclosed proprietary platform components beyond the Turner Simulator.

Turner operates a direct-to-consumer enrollment model, with students registering through the company's website, by phone (212-736-1507), or in person at its Manhattan headquarters at 145 W 30th Street, 6th Floor. Revenue is generated almost entirely from per-course tuition fees and payment-plan premiums, with no enterprise contracts, employer-sponsored training programs, or third-party payor arrangements disclosed beyond general "3rd Party Payor" handling referenced in the admissions contact directory. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic channels — the company website, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), and word-of-mouth from thousands of graduates placed at NYC properties — with no disclosed digital advertising spend or formal B2B sales motion. The school is founder-owned and independently operated, with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement indicated in the available data.

Name

The Turner School

Legal name

The Turner School

Website

https://turnerschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Turner School is a 75+ year-old NYC continuing education institution preparing individual candidates for the Refrigeration Machine Operator licensing exam via classroom, hybrid, and online formats. It also offers A2L refrigerant certification and a practice simulator for building engineers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing education and vocational training

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAEAF

Language & Communication Continuing Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• HVAC certification training
• Refrigeration license prep
• Vocational continuing education
• Building operations training
• Trade school courses

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition: Primary revenue from course tuition fees for Refrigeration Machine Operator exam preparation and A2L Certification courses. Tuition is charged per course with options for full payment or payment plans.
2. Payment Plan Fees: Students can opt for weekly or monthly payment plans with a fee differential (e.g., $5700 full vs $6150 with payment plan). Revenue includes the additional cost charged for installment payment options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Turner School delivers instructor-led continuing education courses that prepare individual students to pass the New York City Refrigeration Machine Operator Examination and obtain the Certificate of Qualification required for supervisory and operational roles (Watch Engineer, Chief Engineer, Custodian, Superintendent) at NYC commercial buildings, hospitals, and schools. Course delivery combines in-person classroom sessions at its Manhattan campus with hybrid online live-instructor sessions via Canvas LMS, and includes a complimentary Turner Simulator for hands-on practical exam practice for graduates of the written course. Tuition bundles books and supplies, with full-payment and installment payment plan options available.

Product overview

The Turner School offers a portfolio of technical certification courses focused on commercial and industrial building operations. Their core product is the Refrigeration Machine Operator Written Exam Course, which prepares students for NYC licensing examinations. The school also provides the A2L Certification Course as a specialized add-on module, and the Turner Simulator Access for hands-on practice after passing the written exam. An online learning platform featuring practice quizzes, presentations, and flash software supplements the classroom instruction through Canvas LMS integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refrigeration Machine Operator Written Exam Course NYC Refrigeration Machine Operator license preparation course covering the material required to pass the examination administered by the Bureau of Fire Prevention; passing confers a Certificate of Qualification required for roles such as watch engineer, custodian, or superintendent in NYC commercial buildings, hospitals, and schools. Offered in-person (Tuesday/Thursday 6:00pm–10:00pm) and hybrid online (Saturday/Sunday) formats with all books and supplies included in tuition.
• A2L Certification Course Certification course covering A2L (mildly flammable refrigerant) technology for refrigeration and air conditioning operations. Scheduling and pricing are provided upon direct contact with the school.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students pass the Refrigeration Machine Operator Examination on first attempt after completing Turner coursework

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)minorOthersTurner School is a member of ASHRAE, a professional association that sets standards for the HVAC&R industry. Membership provides credibility and alignment with industry standards.
• Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA)minorOthersTurner School is a member of ACCA, providing connection to the contractor community and industry best practices.
• US Green Building CouncilminorOthersTurner School is a member of the US Green Building Council, demonstrating commitment to sustainable building practices in HVAC&R training.
• New York State Education DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTurner School is licensed by the NYS Education Department, making it an authorized education provider for vocational training programs.
• New York Fire DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLicensed by the NYC Fire Department's Bureau of Fire Prevention, Turner School is the designated preparation provider for the Refrigeration Machine Operator Examination.
• Canvas (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationTurner School uses Canvas LMS as its online learning management system for delivering course materials, practice quizzes, class presentations, and student grade access.
• Method (Student Portal)coreTechnology or IntegrationTurner School's student portal, powered by Method, handles billing, payment plans, enrollment history, and document submission for students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheTurnerSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheTurnerSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-turner-school

Compliance5 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 The Turner School