About ARS

Our History

ARS has been in business since 1940 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. We began with a single location at 231 South Central in Phoenix. As the business grew, so did our footprint in Arizona. We opened a Tucson store through acquisition in 1948, and then a Yuma location in 1956. In 1976, we expanded outside of Arizona by first incorporating in Virginia, then acquiring a Texas and New Mexico company in 1979: Refrigeration Suppliers, Inc. Additional acquisitions and store openings followed throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1996, we moved into our current Phoenix headquarters at 2632 East Chambers. We now have 33 branch locations across Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia.

Our Ownership

In 1970, another long-time Arizona company, the Kitchell Corporation, and a gentleman named Al Owens (who relocated to Arizona as part of the acquisition), bought ARS and its (then) three locations. Mr. Owens became its President. He sold his ownership to Kitchell in 1992 and retired several years later. Stephen Martin, who began his career with ARS in 1978, was named President of ARS in 1992.

Today, Kitchell is employee-owned and a well-respected general contractor, construction management, and real estate development company. While our businesses have historically operated - and continue to operate - independently, together we comprise one of the largest privately-held companies in Arizona, united in the Kitchell motto: "Together, building value every day."

Our Essence

Our People

At ARS, we strive to create a culture where our people promote our values of honesty, integrity, quality, loyalty, and respect. Our ability to provide exceptional customer service comes from our efforts to live out these values every day, as we fulfill our mission.

Branch Teams

Of course, the most important people in our organization are those who directly serve our customers in our branch locations throughout the country, bringing value each and every day. Please visit them in store or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram.