Much of the commercial refrigeration used in American restaurants is still built here, by makers in Missouri, Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan that cut, bend and weld stainless steel into reach-in refrigerators, freezers and prep tables.
A commercial refrigerator is mostly its stainless steel cabinet and insulation; its compressor and controls are often bought from abroad. Each listing is rated for the company's most American-made equipment and names what is known to come from elsewhere.
Ranked by Made in USA level, highest first; ties are in alphabetical order. The level measures how much is made in the USA, not product quality. How the levels work
Beverage-Air makes commercial reach-in and bottom-mount refrigerators and freezers, back bar coolers, merchandisers, prep tables and chef bases for restaurants and bars. Part of Italy's Ali Group, it is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and builds its equipment in Brookville, Pennsylvania.
Beverage-Air calls itself "a leading domestic manufacturer of commercial refrigeration solutions" with "the factory in Brookville, Pennsylvania," and its contact page says its "food service manufacturing and distribution business has been consolidated at a single facility in Brookville, Pennsylvania, USA."
Ali Group has said "Beverage-Air products are manufactured in Brookville, PA," and the plant hires assembly and fabrication workers. Its compressors are likely imported.
Production history: Beverage-Air has built commercial refrigeration for more than 70 years; Ali Group owns it, and it has consolidated its production in Brookville.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (compressors, controls) are about 10–25% of the value.
Level 4 for its Horizon and P-Series reach-in refrigerators and freezers built in Brookville, Pennsylvania: Beverage-Air builds its commercial refrigerators at its single plant in Brookville, Pennsylvania; its compressors are likely imported.
Delfield makes commercial reach-in, undercounter and worktop refrigerators and freezers, prep tables, blast chillers and custom stainless steel serving lines for restaurants and institutions. Founded in Detroit in 1949 and part of Italy's Ali Group since 2022, it is based in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where it builds its equipment.
Delfield's About page says it opened its Mt. Pleasant, Michigan plant in 1971 and calls itself "one of the largest custom stainless steel refrigeration equipment manufacturers in the world." It makes no made-in-USA claim on its site, but WebstaurantStore marks its 6000XL reach-ins and undercounters "made in the United States of America."
A 2026 job posting for its Mt. Pleasant production team covers TIG and arc welding, metal fabrication, refrigeration, wiring and assembly. Its compressors are likely imported.
Production history: Delfield has built equipment in Mt. Pleasant since 1971; it closed its Covington, Tennessee plant after a 2023 tornado and moved that work to Mt. Pleasant, and became part of Ali Group with Welbilt in 2022.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (compressors, controls) are about 10–25% of the value.
Level 4 for its 6000XL reach-ins and undercounter and worktop refrigerators built in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan: Delfield welds, fabricates and assembles its commercial refrigerators in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; its compressors are likely imported.
Traulsen makes commercial reach-in and roll-in refrigerators and freezers, undercounters, prep tables, blast chillers and merchandisers for restaurants, hospitals and schools. Part of ITW Food Equipment Group, it engineers and builds its equipment at its plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
Traulsen's About page, under "Engineered and Hand-Assembled in Fort Worth, TX," says "Every Traulsen product is engineered, fabricated, assembled and tested at our facility in Fort Worth, Texas," and that it is "proud to offer products designed and built in Texas."
It says it sources "reliable components from industry leaders," and its Buy America note says "much of" its equipment is made in the US, so some parts, likely compressors and controls, are imported.
Production history: Traulsen has built commercial refrigeration for decades and now runs from Fort Worth as an ITW division; it recently folded its Centerline line into the Traulsen C-Series, built in the same plant.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (compressors, controls) are about 15–30% of the value.
Level 4 for its R-Series, G-Series and C-Series reach-in refrigerators and freezers built in Fort Worth, Texas: Traulsen fabricates, assembles and tests its commercial refrigerators in Fort Worth, Texas; it buys some components, likely compressors, from other makers.
True Manufacturing makes commercial reach-in refrigerators and freezers, undercounters, prep tables, bar coolers and glass door merchandisers for restaurants, bars and stores. The family-owned company was founded in 1945 and builds its equipment at its plants in Missouri, with headquarters in O'Fallon.
True's About page says its products are "designed and engineered in the USA," that "In its Missouri-based manufacturing facilities, TRUE builds for inventory," and that it keeps "full control of our end-to-end manufacturing process"; it makes its own shelving and has its own powder coating plant. Older spec sheets said "True Refrigeration Made in U.S.A. Since 1945"; the current site uses "designed and engineered" instead.
2026 job postings for its Missouri plants cover presses and sheet metal work. Its compressors are likely imported.
Production history: True has built commercial refrigeration in Missouri since 1945 and added plants in other Missouri towns, including a 2021 Poplar Bluff plant.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (compressors, controls) are about 15–30% of the value.
Level 4 for its T-Series reach-in refrigerators and freezers built in Missouri: True builds its commercial refrigerators at its own Missouri plants; its compressors are likely imported, and its current site says "designed and engineered in the USA" rather than "made."
What "made in USA" means for commercial refrigeration
Cabinets are made here; compressors usually aren't. These makers fabricate their own steel cabinets, but most don't say where their compressors come from, and they are likely imported.
Read the wording. Traulsen says its products are "engineered, fabricated, assembled and tested" in Fort Worth, and True now says "designed and engineered in the USA"; each listing quotes the company's own words.
Each listing's research notes show what was checked and when, including our rough estimate of how much of the value is imported. Ratings are rechecked as companies answer.
Commercial refrigeration makers by state
Michigan: Delfield (Mt. Pleasant)
Missouri: True Manufacturing (O'Fallon)
Pennsylvania: Beverage-Air (Brookville plant)
Texas: Traulsen (Fort Worth)
Change log
This is a new page.
4 makers of commercial refrigerators and freezers are listed, each checked for where it builds its equipment today and where it has built it over the years.
Every maker has a Made in USA level from 0 to 5, with the sources and research notes behind it. See how the levels work.
Not listed yet: a commercial refrigerator maker whose plant we couldn't confirm. We're looking into it.
Listings checked by Dave Hurley.
Know a USA-made company we missed?
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A company may be based in the USA while making some products elsewhere. Check the manufacturer's own site for where a specific product is made.
