HVACR products distributor Watsco announced the completion of its acquisition of Southern Ice Equipment Distributors on May 5, along with two additional transactions completed earlier in 2025.
Terms of the transactions were not disclosed, but Watsco noted that Southern Ice will maintain its current name and continue to be led by its existing leadership team.
Founded in 1984, Southern Ice is a Louisiana-based distributor specializing in food-service and commercial refrigeration equipment, parts and supplies. The company offers products from manufacturers, including Manitowoc Ice — a division of Pentair plc. Southern Ice operates seven locations across Sunbelt states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
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In addition to acquiring Southern Ice, Watsco completed two other acquisitions earlier in the year. In January, the company acquired Lashley & Associates, a Houston-based distributor of commercial supplies and custom air movement products. This was followed by the April 2025 acquisition of Hawkins HVAC Distributors, a supplier of HVAC equipment and supplies with locations in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC.
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With all three acquisitions combined, Watsco has added 10 new locations and approximately $47 million in annual sales across Sunbelt markets. According to the company, these transactions bring new brand partnerships, a wider range of product offerings and an expanded distribution network.
“We are pleased to welcome these great businesses to the Watsco family,” Watsco Chairman and CEO Albert Nahmad said in a news release. “We look forward to investing in their growth plans, leveraging our transformative technology platforms, and supporting customers and employees as part of our family.”
In recent news, Watsco reported its 2025 first quarter financial results on April 23 which showed a 2% decline in sales year-over-year to $1.53 billion, while gross margin of 28.1% improved 60 basis points year-over-year.
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