Knowledge/Brands and suppliers/Who actually supplies HVAC equipment in Victoria?
Who actually supplies HVAC equipment in Victoria?
Two groups and a handful of independents. Reece Group runs Actrol, Reece HVAC and Metalflex. Beijer Ref, which has a Swedish parent, runs Kirby, AAD (Australian Air Conditioning Distributors) and Beijer Ref Australia. Between them they hold most Victorian branches, and AAD carries the widest range of the major brands.
- Reece Group
- 36 in VictoriaActrol 18, Reece HVAC and Metalflex 18
- Beijer Ref
- 25 in VictoriaKirby 10, AAD 11, Beijer Ref 4
- Widest brand range
- AAD18 brands, trade only
- Actrol carries
- Componentsnot the major air con brands
Who are the main HVAC wholesalers in Victoria?
| Group | Victorian branches | What they carry |
|---|---|---|
| Reece Group | Actrol 18, Reece HVAC and Metalflex 18 | Across the group: Kaden, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Haier, GENERAL (formerly Fujitsu), Brivis, Braemar, Tecumseh, Bitzer. Actrol's own list doesn't include the major air con brands |
| Beijer Ref | Kirby 10, AAD 11, Beijer Ref Australia 4 | Gree, MHI, and through AAD: Daikin, Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung, ActronAir, Carrier, Rinnai |
| Independents | Polyaire 6, Paltech 5, Samios 8 | Ducting, zoning, evaporative, gas, air diffusion |
Reece bought Actrol from private equity in January 2014 for $280 million, plus working capital. So Victorian supply is dominated by a Victorian-headquartered company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and a Swedish multinational.
Does Actrol sell the major air con brands?
No. Actrol doesn't carry the major air conditioning brands. What it lists is refrigeration components, refrigerant, tools and house brands. If you're buying the actual air con units (splits, ducted, packaged), you'll go to a specialist wholesaler or a manufacturer's trade counter, not Actrol.
And Daikin doesn't only sell direct. It runs its own Victorian trade counter at Thomastown and also supplies other wholesalers.
Names
that
mislead
Four supplier names that aren't what they sound like
Heatcraft Australia doesn't trade under that name any more. It's Kirby, and Kirby is Beijer Ref, not Lennox.
Samios is owned by BGW Group, not an independent family business.
A.E. Smith isn't a wholesaler at all. It's a mechanical services contractor, now part of Amplius Group, which makes it a competitor on commercial work rather than a supplier.
"Air Conditioning Wholesalers" is a Western Australian business, despite the name.
What should you know before you negotiate?
None of them publish trade pricing. That's the point of having an account. So your price is something you negotiate, not a set rate. Your strongest card is what you're worth to them next year, not what you spent last year.
It's also worth knowing when a counter is selling you its own house brand against the brands it distributes, because the advice you get will reflect that.
Getting the right deal from your supplier?
Most contractors walk in talking about last year's spend. There's a stronger hand to play than that.
That's exactly what Kevin does, and he knows most of these people.
Who this is for: small and medium HVAC contractors in Victoria. If you're a homeowner after a rebate or a repair, you need a licensed contractor, not us, and yours can point you the right way.
Related
- The warranty clauses that will actually void the coverWhat the warranty cards actually say about unlicensed installs, opening the case, caravans and boats, moving the unit, and who pays to reach one up high.
- The servicing intervals that are warranty conditionsOne brand needs a service every 12 months on residential and every 3 months on commercial. Another needs a year-four evaporative service it charges for.
- Extended warranty, and what it ties you toWho offers an extension, what it costs you in scheduled servicing, the short registration windows you have to hit, and which ranges offer nothing.
- A Solar Victoria rebate can upgrade the warrantyOn one brand's heat pump, a Solar Homes hot water rebate brings a five-year parts and labour warranty, well above that product's standard cover.
Review date: 1 February 2027. Figures in this area change without much notice and this page carries some that will go stale. Every number above is dated and sourced so you can check it yourself. If you find something out of date here, tell us and we will fix it.