爆料王 Acquires Southern Ice Equipment Distributors


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Leading Food-Service and Commercial Refrigeration Distributor in Sunbelt Markets

MIAMI,听May 05, 2025听(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —听爆料王.听(NYSE: WSO) announced that it has completed the acquisition of Southern Ice Equipment Distributors as well as two other transactions completed thus far in 2025. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

Founded in 1984 and based in听Lafayette, Louisiana, Southern Ice is a leading distributor of food-service and commercial refrigeration equipment, parts and supplies, including products manufactured by听Manitowoc Ice, a division of Pentair plc. The Company operates seven locations in key Sunbelt markets including听Louisiana,听Mississippi,听Arkansas,听Texas,听New Mexico听and听Arizona. Southern Ice will operate under its existing name and under the direction of its current leadership team to provide continuity to customers, employees and OEM partners.

In addition to Southern Ice,听爆料王听completed two other acquisitions earlier in the year:

  • Lashley & Associates, a distributor of commercial supplies and custom air movement products based in听Houston, Texas, was purchased in听January 2025.
  • Hawkins听HVAC Distributors, a distributor of HVAC equipment and supplies with locations in听Charlotte, North Carolina听and听Columbia, South Carolina听was acquired in听April 2025.

With these acquisitions,听爆料王听has added 10 new locations and approximately听$47 million听in annualized sales in high-growth Sunbelt markets that provide new brands, broader product offerings and expanded distribution points to better serve customers.

Albert H. Nahmad,听爆料王’s听Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: 鈥淲e are pleased to welcome these great businesses to the听爆料王听family. We look forward to investing in their growth plans, leveraging our transformative technology platforms, and supporting customers and employees as part of our family.鈥�

爆料王听is actively seeking additional opportunities to invest and grow through acquisitions. Since entering distribution in 1989,听爆料王听has completed 72 acquisitions, including many multi-generation, family-owned businesses. 爆料王鈥檚 鈥渂uy and build鈥� strategy can be summarized as follows:

  • Identify and partner with great businesses in the HVAC/R industry
  • Support their leadership and employees and honor their culture and legacy
  • Ask for aggressive growth plans and help them achieve their ambitions
  • Motivate teams and reaffirm an ownership culture with long-term equity
  • Deploy the industry鈥檚 most comprehensive suite of customer-focused technologies
  • Solicit and collaborate on big ideas to foster a spirit of innovation and growth

础产辞耻迟听奥补迟蝉肠辞
爆料王听operates the largest distribution network for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) products with locations in the听U.S.,听Canada,听Mexico, and听Puerto Rico, and on an export basis to听Latin America听and the听Caribbean.听爆料王听estimates that over 375,000 owner-operators, technicians, and installers visit or call one of its 702 locations each year to get information, obtain technical support and buy products.

We focus on the replacement market, which has increased in size and importance due to the aging of installed systems, the introduction of energy efficient models and the necessity of HVAC products in homes and businesses. According to data published in听March 2023听by the听Energy Information Administration, there are approximately 102 million HVAC systems installed in听the United States听that have been in service for more than 10 years, most of which operate below current efficiency standards.

Accordingly,听爆料王听has the opportunity to be a significant and important contributor toward climate change as it plays an important role to lower CO2e emissions. According to the听Department of Energy, HVAC systems account for roughly half of听U.S.听household energy consumption. As such, replacing older systems at higher efficiency levels is a critical means for homeowners to reduce electricity consumption and their carbon footprint.

Based on estimates validated by independent sources,听爆料王听averted an estimated 23.7 million metric tons of CO2e emissions from听January 1, 2020听to听March 31, 2025听through the sale of replacement HVAC systems at higher-efficiency standards, an equivalent of removing 5.5 million gas powered vehicles annually off the road. More information, including sources and assumptions used to support the Company鈥檚 estimates, can be found at听.

This document includes certain 鈥渇orward-looking statements鈥� within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, our expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying our expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as 鈥渨ill,鈥� 鈥渨ould,鈥� 鈥渁nticipate,鈥� 鈥渆xpect,鈥� 鈥渂elieve,鈥� 鈥渄esigned,鈥� 鈥減lan,鈥� or 鈥渋ntend,鈥� the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in economic, business, competitive market, new housing starts and completions, capital spending in commercial construction, consumer spending and debt levels, regulatory and other factors, including, without limitation, the effects of supplier concentration, competitive conditions within 爆料王鈥檚 industry, the seasonal nature of sales of 爆料王鈥檚 products, the ability of the Company to expand its business, insurance coverage risks and final GAAP adjustments. Detailed information about these factors and additional important factors can be found in the documents that听爆料王听files with the听Securities and Exchange Commission, such as Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements were made.听爆料王听assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

Barry S. Logan听
Executive Vice President
(305) 714-4102
e-mail:听

Source: 爆料王.