When it comes to reclaiming refrigerants in the United States there are a variety of companies to choose from. Over the past few years the list of companies that provide reclamation services has been shrinking but the amount and quality of facilities has only grown. What that means is that a number of companies have begun purchasing and buying out other reclamation companies and begun to consolidate them under three main companies. As I write this today in 2018 the market share of refrigerant reclamation looks a little like this:
- A-Gas Americas – 50% of the market.
- Hudson Technologies – 30% of the market.
- National Refrigerants – 10% of the market
- Everyone Else – 10% of the market – A full listing of certified EPA reclaimers can be found by clicking here.
As you can see above folks A-Gas Americas has been very busy over the past few years. Just look at some of the companies they purchased recently:
- A-Gas acquiring Rapid Recovery.
- A-Gas acquires Refri-Claim.
- A-Gas purchases Diversified Pure Chem Refrigerants.
Hudson hasn’t been asleep at the wheel though. Just recently they purchased Airgas Refrigerants and their reclamation facility in Georgia. Hudson acquiring Airgas Refrigerants. All of these companies that were purchased had a strong reclamation background as well as distribution. There is no telling what the new 2018 year will bring. Will there be more consolidation?
Getting The Best Reclaimed Refrigerant Price
The good thing about this market consolidation is that there is a lot more concentrated competition. What that means is that these three major companies will be competing with each other to get you the best price for your used refrigerant. Before selling your dirty refrigerant to one of these reclaimers it is always best practice to call at least one other company just to compare price. If you have a larger quantity on hand then you may need to take the time and call four or five reclaimers out there just to ensure that you are getting market price and perhaps allowing you to negotiate the price that you are selling up.
Fifty dollars a pound? Well Hudson quoted me fifty-eight. What can you do to to get my business, can we get up to sixty? Remember, use their size against each other to leverage the best price for you and your business.
Conclusion
While A-Gas and Hudson may be controlling the market right now I want to spend some time and mention two other reclaimers out there today.
The first is Refrigerants Inc. out of the Denver, Colorado area. These guys are a certified EPA reclaimer and will even come to site to pick up (Within reason). Chad has helped me out a lot on research and other reclamation articles and I felt it was only fair to mention him here to return the favor.
The second company I want to mention is Ability Refrigerants out of the Phoenix, Arizona area. I can think of no better place in the country to have a refrigerant business than Phoenix. They are a certified EPA reclaimer as well and have a combined sixty years of experience in the HVAC industry. Again, Jeff at Ability Refrigerants helped me out with some of my questions on the reclamation industry and I am very thankful.