Global reach, single focus

The Smardt team shares more than 25 years worth of experience, working with power electronics, magnetic bearings, and oil-free centrifugal chillers.

Pioneer and world leader in high-efficiency oil-free chillers​

Smardt’s founder Roger Richmond-Smith and his technical partner Ron Conry started Turbocor oil-free compressor development in 1993 in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000, their team moved to Montreal, Canada, to complete this breakthrough technology’s development and its 2003 commercial launch. Turbocor partnered with Danfoss in 2004 when Roger retired to academia in Paris. In 2005, he partnered with the U.K.’s Direct Energy to start Smardt as the world’s first chiller company dedicated solely to high-efficiency lowest-lifetime-cost oil-free centrifugals.

Today, Smardt’s pioneering commitment since 2005 has already dramatically cut global chiller energy consumption and owner operating costs with over 10,000 Smardt chillers now operating. This decarbonization and innovation campaign continues into the long term. 

Company History

1999

Future founder of Smardt, Roger Richmond-Smith, and Ron Conry begin Turbocor oil-free compressor development in Melbourne, Australia.

Powerpax
2000

Roger wins funding from Quebec’s SGF fund and moves Turbocor from Melbourne to Montreal with 20 engineers and their families.

Turbocor-comp
2002

First Turbocor oil-free magnetic bearing compressor field prototype installed in Victoria in a chiller made by Australia’s PowerPax heat exchanger company.

Innovation-award-turbocor
2003

Turbocor technology launched in the North American market after winning the 2003 AHR Innovation Award in Chicago. Market acceptance by orthodox chiller brands is very slow.

Smardt
2005

With backing from the U.K.’s large Direct Energy group, Roger starts Smardt in Montreal with a small team, largely from Turbocor, and adds Melbourne’s PowerPax as the next step in building the global Smardt group.

Plattsburgh
2010

With backing from Quebec’s FSTQ fund, Smardt opens its Plattsburgh, N.Y. factory and establishes a sales and service facility in Singapore.

OPK
2011

Smardt acquires a European beachhead in OPK Kaelte und Klima Technik AG of Neckartailfingen, Baden-Wurttemberg. OPK is top-rated in custom HVACR solutions and is strong in process temperature control, especially in difficult oil-free applications. Smardt subsequently grows the business and moves it to a large new factory at Wendlingen, near Stuttgart.

Guangzhou
2012

Smardt opens a new factory in Guangzhou, Guangdong and starts to build sales and service networks in China with key support from Singapore and Melbourne.

Transcalor
2015

Smardt partners with Brazilian chiller manufacturer Transcalor, now merged with Mecalor of Sao Paulo.

TICA-JV
2018

Leading Chinese HVAC group TICA enters global joint venture agreement with Smardt with commitments to add a new Smardt facility in Nanjing and a new facility in Guangzhou.

TICA’s pre-eminence in high-end AHU and cleanroom markets and fast-growing major presence in other markets complementary to Smardt’s oil-free chiller leadership offers many potential global synergies.

RED-Rochester
2020

Vince Canino (ex Trane and GE, Smardt COO since 2014) becomes CEO.

Ashraf Abdalla (ex Johnson Controls/York) joins as COO.

Roger remains as chairman.

New developments continue in heat exchangers (e.g. falling film evaporators, new air-cooled condensers); oil-free compressors (e.g. Turbocor’s VTX and R1233zd low-pressure technologies); system integration (e.g. D.C. microgrids, solar, thermal storage, heat pumps, district heating and cooling) and CPECS chilled water system optimization.

Please stay tuned.

1993
1993

Future founders of Smardt, Roger Richmond-Smith and Ron Conry begin Turbocor oil-free compressor development in Melbourne, Australia.

1999
1999

Roger Richmond-Smith moves Turbocor, Inc. from Melbourne to Montreal.

PowerPax founded in Melbourne, Australia as a specialist heat exchanger group.

2000
2000

20 engineers and their families relocate from Melbourne to continue with Turbocor in Montreal.

Future chiller manufacturer, Smardt, and affiliate, Kiltech, will be established by engineers from this Turbocor oil-free compressor development team.

2002
2002

First Turbocor oil-free compressor field prototype installed in a chiller made by PowerPax in Victoria, Australia.

2003
2003

Turbocor, Inc. wins the 2003 AHR Expo Energy Innovation Award in Chicago. Oil-free technology is launched in North American market to slow acceptance by orthodox chiller manufacturers.

2004
2004

Turbocor, Inc. wins the EPA’s highest environmental award, the Climate Protection Award.
Danfoss forms a joint venture with Turbocor, acquiring a 50% ownership share.

Kiltech Inc. is founded by Roger Richmond-Smith and Philip Kennedy in Montreal.

Smardt
2005

Roger Richmond-Smith founds Smardt in Montreal. Smardt’s inaugural team comes largely from Turbocor.

Smardt and PowerPax join forces to form the Smardt Chiller Group, Inc.

Smardt begins an exclusive relationship with Kiltech.

2010
2010

Smardt opens its first US factory, in Plattsburgh, New York.

Smardt establishes a sales and service facility in Singapore.

OPK
2011

Smardt acquires Stuttgart’s OPK Klimatechnik AG, a European pioneer of oil-free centrifugal technology.

2012
2012

Smardt opens a manufacturing facility in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China and begins building sales and service networks.

2015
2015

Smardt partners with Brazilian chiller manufacturer, Transcalor.

TICA-JV
2018

TICA, a leading HVAC company in China, enters global joint venture agreement with Smardt.

TICA’s prominence in high-end AHU and cleanroom markets, and expanding presence in other markets offer synergies to Smardt’s global oil-free chiller leadership. 

TICA commits to adding new Smardt facilities in Guangzhou and Nanjing.

2020
2020

Smardt provides the largest installed oil-free chiller in the world.

Ashraf Abdalla joins Smardt as COO.

2021
2021

Transcalor is acquired by Mecalor. Smardt forms joint venture with Mecalor to serve the South American market.

2022
2022

TICA achieves full ownership of Smardt.

Jiang Li, TICA chairman, succeeds Roger Richmond-Smith as Executive Chairman of Smardt.

Ashraf Abdalla is named Smardt’s CEO.

2023
2023

TICA and Smardt celebrate their five-year anniversary with joint meetings in new TICA-and-Smardt facilities in Guangzhou and Nanjing.

We’re looking for a few good people.

Looking to take your career to the next level? Join the Smardt team.

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