First international operating company adds Canadian manufacturing, low-charge ammonia technology and cold-climate expertise to a platform serving more than 1,450 facilities.

WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 13, 2026 /CNW/ — Industrial Refrigeration Pros (IR Pros) today announced a partnership with Prairie HVAC/R, a Winnipeg-area refrigeration, ice plant and mechanical solutions specialist with more than 20 years of experience.

The transaction marks IR Pros’ first venture outside the United States and establishes its first Canadian operating company. More than a geographic expansion, the combination brings together IR Pros’ engineering, controls, compliance and cold-envelope capabilities with Prairie HVAC/R’s Canadian manufacturing base, cold-climate expertise and long-standing relationships across industrial, commercial and community infrastructure markets.

From its manufacturing facility in Grande Pointe, Manitoba, Prairie HVAC/R designs, builds, installs and services artificial ice plants, industrial refrigeration systems, commercial HVAC, controls and automation, alternative-energy systems and electrical infrastructure. The company also manufactures ENVIROFREEZE® low-charge packaged ammonia chillers and RINK LINK® remote ice-plant controls, technology used in arenas and curling facilities, including championship-level ice at the Grand Slam of Curling Players’ Championship.

“We did not enter Canada simply to put a pin on a map. We entered with a company that knows how to engineer, manufacture and service mission-critical systems in one of the world’s most demanding climates. Prairie HVAC/R gives us the people, technology and credibility to create real value for customers on both sides of the border.”

Curtis Czemeres, Chief Executive Officer, IR Pros

For customers, the combined platform creates access to a broader range of capabilities through one relationship: refrigeration engineering and construction, packaged system manufacturing, controls and automation, mechanical-integrity and compliance support, electrical services, cold-storage construction and insulated metal panel systems. IR Pros’ shared capabilities also include RefrigAgent, an AI-enabled compliance platform that converts P&IDs into IIAR 6 mechanical-integrity plans.

The combination is expected to create new opportunities across food and beverage processing, data centres, cold storage, industrial facilities, arenas, municipalities and community recreation infrastructure. Organizations planning new facilities, plant expansions, refrigeration modernizations, controls upgrades or energy-efficiency initiatives can now engage a cross-border team with both local execution and platform-level resources.

“Prairie HVAC/R was built around a simple promise: show up, solve the problem and do the work properly. Joining IR Pros protects that promise while giving our team access to deeper engineering, compliance and controls resources. It means we can take on more complex opportunities without losing the practical, people-first approach our customers know us for.”

Albert Steinbach, Co-Founder, Prairie HVAC/R

Prairie HVAC/R’s operating experience in Manitoba and surrounding Canadian markets complements IR Pros’ network of operating companies in the United States. Prairie HVAC/R will retain its name, leadership and current team. IR Pros and Prairie HVAC/R plan to triple manufacturing capacity over the next couple of years and add 20–30 employees in Manitoba and across Canada. Together, the organizations will collaborate on cross-border projects and support customers seeking consistent standards, specialized expertise and scalable service across multiple facilities and regions.

The acquisition also reflects IR Pros’ partnership model, which is designed to help high-quality refrigeration businesses retain their operating strengths while gaining access to shared resources, specialized expertise and expanded growth opportunities. Facility owners, developers, municipalities, arena operators, engineering partners, industrial organizations and refrigeration businesses exploring partnership opportunities are invited to connect with IR Pros through irpros.com. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About IR Pros

IR Pros is a Sawmill Capital-sponsored partnership of industrial refrigeration companies serving cold storage, food and beverage, data centre and industrial customers. Its operating companies design, build and service refrigeration systems, construct cold-storage facilities and deliver cold-envelope solutions. Together, they have served more than 1,450 facilities with shared engineering, compliance and controls capabilities. Learn more at irpros.com.

About Prairie HVAC/R

Prairie HVAC/R is a Winnipeg-region refrigeration and mechanical company with more than 20 years of experience in artificial ice plants, industrial refrigeration, commercial HVAC, controls, alternative energy and electrical systems. Prairie manufactures ENVIROFREEZE® low-charge packaged chillers and RINK LINK® DDC remote controls and is COR Certified for workplace safety. Learn more at prairiehvac.com.

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SOURCE IR Pros