Southern California Family-Owned Company Has Now Earned Four Consecutive Inc. Honors, an EPA Safer Chemistry Champion Award, an Industry Product Company of the Year Honor and a Spot on the LA Times’ Fastest-Growing OC Companies List — All by Rethinking What HVACR Chemicals Should Be
Refrigeration Technologies, a family-owned manufacturer of safer, high-performance HVACR chemical solutions, has been named No. 92 on the 2026 Inc. Regionals: Pacific list of fastest-growing private companies. The recognition is the latest in a growing stack of national and industry honors for a company that has spent nearly four decades quietly disrupting an industry that didn’t think it needed disrupting.
The Inc. Regionals list honors private companies across the Pacific region that have demonstrated exceptional revenue growth while navigating shifting market conditions—a standard Refrigeration Technologies has met consistently. The company has now appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years (2021–2024), earned back-to-back spots on the Inc. Regionals: Pacific list in 2023, 2025 and now 2026, been named to the Los Angeles Times’ 25 Fastest Growing Private Companies in Orange County, earned the 2024 HVAC Chemical Product Company of the Year award from Construction Business Magazine and received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative Champion designation—an honor shared by only 42 companies worldwide, including Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble—all while remaining family-run and U.S.-manufactured.
The Problem the Industry Ignored. And the Family Business That Didn’t.
The throughline: A stubborn belief that effective HVACR service shouldn’t require toxic, corrosive or environmentally harmful chemicals.
“Our growth is a direct result of staying true to our mission,” said Mike Pastorello, president and CEO. “Developing safer, high-performing solutions that support HVACR professionals in the field every day — that’s what drives everything we do.”
For decades, the HVACR industry accepted a troubling norm: Technicians were hurting themselves with harsh, corrosive chemicals—and the damage didn’t stop there. Runoff could harm vegetation, contaminate surrounding surfaces and pose risks to anyone nearby, especially in food service environments. Most of the industry looked the other way.
Founded by John Pastorello—himself a recipient of the HVAC Tactical Lifetime Achievement Award—Refrigeration Technologies was built on a simple conviction that it didn’t have to be that way. Much of its portfolio, including Viper® coil cleaners, Big Blu® leak detection and Nylog® thread sealants, are formulated to be non-toxic, biodegradable and low-corrosion—with select products carrying NSF registration for use in food service environments. The result is a line of products trusted by more than 100,000 professionals worldwide and approved by leading OEMs and global wholesalers.
That focus on doing things differently has translated directly into business results. Refrigeration Technologies holds a customer retention rate exceeding 98% and continues to scale U.S. manufacturing operations to meet growing domestic and international demand.
“We’re focused on creating solutions and resources that help technicians succeed,” Pastorello added. “That’s what our industry recognitions reflect.”
Refrigeration Technologies products are available through distributors across North America and globally. To learn more, visit https://www.refrigtech.com/.
