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Private equity-backed firm acquires Rochester HVAC manufacturer
Private equity-backed firm acquires Rochester HVAC manufacturer
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Northern Air Systems, Inc., the Rochester-based designer and manufacturer of highly specialized HVAC systems, has been acquired by a private-equity backed specialty HVAC solutions provider.
AirX Climate Solutions, Inc., (ACS) of Oklahoma City, announced the acquisition Thursday.
Located on Buffalo Road, Northern Air provides HVAC systems for complex and mission-critical operations for use in demanding environments by clients in aviation, mobile medical, mobile broadcast, law enforcement, marine, military and other sectors.
Northern Air was founded by Tim Confer in 1998. Currently president of the firm, Confer will transition to a strategic advisory role, supporting continued innovation and growth initiatives, ACS said.
“We are excited to partner with ACS, which shares our values and our commitment to solve customers’ most complex HVAC challenges,” Confer said in a news release. “With the resources and scale of ACS, Northern Air is positioned to accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers and employees.”
Will Rausch has been named general manager of Northern Air. Rausch had been promoted to chief operating officer in January 2025.
ACS is backed by Gryphon Investors, a middle-market private equity firm with approximately $10 billion in assets under management. ACS joined the Gryphon portfolio in 2023.
This was the fifth acquisition by ACS.
“Northern Air’s engineering capabilities, product quality and presence across highly demanding verticals complement our existing portfolio and expand the solutions we provide to our customers,” said Rick Aldridge, CEO of ACS.
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