Star Equity Holdings Valuation Multiples

Trane Technologies is a climate-control manufacturer domiciled in Dublin, Ireland, with most of its business in North America, that makes heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and transport refrigeration equipment. Its brands include Trane and American Standard for commercial and residential HVAC and Thermo King for refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers. The company sells equipment, parts, controls and services to building owners, contractors and fleet operators, with equipment accounting for roughly 70% of sales and parts and services about 30%. It reported revenue of about US$19.8 billion in 2024. Trane Technologies is the renamed Ingersoll-Rand plc, an industrial group whose roots go back to 1871: in March 2020 it merged its industrial segment with Gardner Denver, which took the Ingersoll Rand name, and kept the climate business as Trane Technologies. As Ingersoll-Rand it co-founded the Dresser-Rand compressor joint venture with Dresser Industries in 1986, bought full control in 2000 and sold the business to First Reserve in 2004.

Following Johnson Controls’ divestiture of its residential and light commercial HVAC businesses to Bosch in 2025, nearly all of its revenue comes from commercial HVAC (60%) and fire and security products and services (40%). A 2016 merger joined Johnson Controls’ HVAC and Tyco’s fire and security businesses with the premise that there is synergy in offering a broader variety of automation products and solutions to commercial buildings. We estimate Johnson Controls’ pro forma revenue mix will be one-third products, one-third installation, and one-third services.

Comfort Systems USA Inc provides comprehensive mechanical contracting services, including heating, ventilation, & air conditioning, or HVAC; plumbing; piping & controls; construction; and other electrical components. Projects are mainly for commercial, industrial, & institutional buildings, & tend to be geared toward HVAC. Revenue is roughly split between installation services for newly constructed facilities & maintenance services for existing buildings. The company installs & repairs products and systems throughout the United States. It operates in two segments, Mechanical services & Electrical services, the majority is from the Mechanical services segment.

Natera Inc is a diagnostic and research company with proprietary molecular and bioinformatics technology. The company's key product offerings include its Panorama Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) which screens for chromosomal abnormalities of a fetus as well as in twin pregnancies, typically with a blood draw from the mother, Horizon Carrier Screening (HCS) to determine carrier status for a large number of severe genetic diseases that could be passed on to the carrier’s children, Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) test, which detects circulating tumor DNA in patients previously diagnosed with cancer to assess molecular residual disease and monitor for recurrence; and Prospera, to assess organ transplant rejection.

CRH is a global manufacturer of a range of building products used in construction projects, operating via a vertically integrated business model. The past decade has seen CRH transform into a leading building materials business, with increasing exposure to upstream building activities such as aggregates and cement. CRH’s geographic footprint is mostly across developed markets. North America is CRH’s largest market and accounts for 75% of EBITDA. The company is the largest producer of aggregates and asphalt in the US.

Originally spun out of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, Agilent has evolved into a leading life science and diagnostic firm. Today, Agilent's measurement technologies serve a broad base of customers with its three operating segments: life science and diagnostics, cross lab operations consisting of consumables and services, and applied end markets. Over half of its sales are generated from the biopharmaceutical, chemical, and advanced materials end markets, which we view as the stickiest end markets, but it also supports clinical lab, environmental, forensics, food, academic, and government-related organizations. The company is geographically diverse, with operations in the US and China representing the largest country concentrations.

Carrier Global, spun out of United Technologies in 2020, manufactures and services commercial and residential HVAC systems and transportation refrigeration solutions under its flagship Carrier brand, as well as Bryant, Payne, Heil, and others across various price points. In 2024, Carrier acquired Viessmann Climate Solutions to expand its footprint in Europe with heat pumps, boilers, and solar PV equipment. Proceeds from the sale of Carrier’s fire and security (Honeywell) and commercial refrigeration (Haier) businesses reduced debt and focused the company on global HVAC and refrigeration solutions. Carrier generates 75% of sales from equipment and 25% from parts and services. The company derives 50% of revenue from the US, 30% from Europe, and 20% from the Asia-Pacific region.

Assa Abloy is the world’s largest supplier of locking and physical access solutions, sporting the world’s largest installed base of locks that protect some of the most security-sensitive buildings, such as the European Parliament in Brussels. Some 70% of the group's revenue is derived from commercial, government, and other nonresidential customers. The company's product base is centered on electromechanical locks, which require identification to unlock with a keycard, biometric scan, or personal identification number. Assa Abloy's products are sold directly to security systems integrators, locksmiths, hardware stores, and original equipment manufacturers.

Established in Osaka, Japan, in 1924, Daikin Industries is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning product and service companies. North America, Japan, China, and Europe are Daikin’s four biggest markets, with North America accounting for over 30% of the company’s revenue over the years. The air conditioning segment represents about 90% of Daikin’s revenue and operating income, while chemicals and others account for the remaining 10%.

EMCOR Group Inc is a specialty contractor in the United States and a provider of electrical and mechanical construction and facilities services, building services, and industrial services. Its services are provided to a broad range of commercial, technology, manufacturing, industrial, healthcare, utility, and institutional customers through approximately 100 operating subsidiaries. The company's operating subsidiaries are organized into reportable segments: United States mechanical construction and facilities services, which derives key revenue; United States electrical construction and facilities services; United States building services; United States industrial services; and United Kingdom building services. Geographically, its key revenue is derived from the United States.

Compagnie Saint-Gobain is a manufacturer of building materials that are mostly supplied to the construction industry. The company offers a vast range of products including glass, roofing, insulation, and a distribution business. Saint-Gobain has a well-documented history stretching back to the 17th century, with traces of its products visible across France’s most prominent landmarks. Approximately two thirds of sales are generated in Europe, with France contributing 25% of group sales.

Heico is an aerospace and defense supplier that focuses on creating replacement parts for commercial aircraft and components for defense products. In commercial aerospace, Heico is the largest independent producer of replacement aircraft parts. In the defense market, the company produces niche subcomponents used in targeting technology as well as simulation equipment, among other categories. It operates two segments: the flight support group and the electronic technologies group. Both supply the aerospace and defense sectors to different degrees. Heico is persistently acquisitive, focusing on companies in similar or adjacent markets that offer strong cash flow and profitable growth potential.

Martin Marietta Materials is one of the United States' largest producer of construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand, and gravel). In 2024, Martin Marietta sold 191 million tons of aggregates. Martin Marietta's most important markets include Texas, North Carolina, Colorado, California, and Georgia, accounting for most of its sales. The company also uses its aggregates in its asphalt and ready-mixed concrete businesses. Martin’s magnesia specialties business produces magnesia-based chemical products and dolomitic lime.

Hochtief AG develops and constructs building and infrastructure projects. It works on complex projects in transportation, energy, urban infrastructure, and mining markets. It expands transportation networks with roads, bridges, and tunnels, or designs and constructs office buildings, hospitals, and power plants. The company leans on expertise and technical know-how in developing, financing, building, and operating in designated business areas. Also, it will partner with external groups to work on specific components of a project. Its regional divisions are Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe. The Americas and the Asia Pacific account for the majority of sales and are where the company's assets are located.

Techtronic Industries Co Ltd is a designer and manufacturer of power tools. It operates in two segments namely Power Equipment and Floorcare and Cleaning. The company generates maximum revenue from the Power Equipment segment. Its Power Equipment segment includes sales of power tools, power tool accessories, outdoor products, and outdoor product accessories for consumer, trade, professional, and industrial users. The products are available under the MILWAUKEE, EMPIRE, AEG, RYOBI, and HOMELITE brands plus original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from North America.

Kone is a global top-four supplier of elevators and escalators. Kone began producing elevators in Finland in 1918 and today generates revenue in three ways: selling new elevators and escalators, modernizing old equipment, and servicing its installed base. Most of the company's profit comes from the last activity, where contracts are rolled over annually with built-in price increases. The bulk of Kone's business is in elevators, which are more numerous globally than escalators. Its business model is similar to its closest competitors Otis, Schindler, and TK Elevator.

GE HealthCare Technologies is a leading medical technology firm with leading market share in imaging and ultrasound equipment. The company reports four major segments: imaging (45% of revenue), advanced visualization solutions (26%), patient care solutions (15%), and pharmaceutical diagnostics (14%). The company’s sales are geographically diverse, with the United States, EMEA, China, and the rest of the world accounting for 46%, 26%, 11%, and 17% respectively. We estimate approximately half of its revenue is recurring, which consists of servicing (about one third of revenue), pharmaceutical diagnostics (about 10%-15%), and digital solutions (just over 5%).

Otis is the largest global elevator and escalator supplier by revenue with around 18% global market share. In 1854 Otis’ founder and namesake Elisha Graves Otis, invented a safety mechanism that prevented elevators from falling if the hoisting cable failed. The company's product and service lifecycle begins with installations of elevator units in new buildings, later selling maintenance services on the units, and eventually replacement of the units after the average 15- to 20-year useful life of an elevator. As the largest global OEM, Otis has amassed an installed base under service that exceeds 2 million elevators. Its business model is similar to that of its closest competitors Kone, Schindler, and TK Elevator.

Labcorp is one of the nation's two largest independent clinical laboratories, with roughly 20% of the independent lab market. The company operates approximately 2,000 patient-service centers, offering a broad range of 5,000 clinical lab tests, ranging from uncomplicated routine blood and urine screens to complex oncology and genomic testing.

Quest Diagnostics is a leading independent provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services in the US. The company generates over 95% of its revenue through clinical testing, anatomic pathology, esoteric testing, and substance abuse testing with specimens collected at its national network of roughly 2,300 patient service centers, as well as multiple doctors offices and hospitals. The firm also runs a much smaller diagnostic solutions segment that provides clinical trials testing, risk-assessment services, and information technology solutions.

Guardant Health, based in Redwood City, California, is a leader in liquid-based cancer tests for clinical and research use. The company's main franchises are Guardant360 for genomic profiling of tumors, Reveal for molecular residual disease testing, and Shield for colorectal cancer screening. Additionally, Guardant offers research development services such as regulatory approval consultancy and clinical trial referrals.

Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls Co Ltd is an HVAC&R manufacturer of controls and components. It is engaged in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of refrigeration and air-conditioning control component and automotive components business, which include four-way reversing valves, solenoid valves, and electronic expansion valves. The products offered by the company are standard controls and line components, customized controls and line components, electronic controls, and micro-channel heat exchangers. The products have applications in air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, heat pumps, and home appliances. The organization supplies its products in China and internationally.

Kingspan is a global leader in high-performance insulation and building envelope solutions. It's been a serial acquirer of insulation companies since the 1980s and boasts a well-known brand that resonates with risk-averse project specifiers. In recent years, it has focused on expanding its product scope beyond insulation and now offers a comprehensive suite of products and solutions for the broader building envelope. Today, its insulated building envelopes segment generates 82% of group sales, while the rest comes from Advnsys. Kingspan has more than 270 manufacturing sites spread across 80 countries. It has leading positions in Europe (71% of sales) and North America (22%), and it is highly exposed to new-build (75%) and nonresidential construction (75%).

Snap-on is a manufacturer of premium tools, equipment, and diagnostics for professional technicians, primarily involved in the repair of passenger cars but having expanded into other industrial applications. The company’s legacy business is selling hand tools through franchisee-operated mobile vans to technicians who purchase the tools at their own expense. The company also operates a commercial and industrial business that is focused on repair facilities serving other industries. The third segment, repair systems and information, targets auto OEMs and large dealerships more directly and also offers substantial diagnostic solutions to aid repairs. The company’s finance arm provides financing to franchisees to run their operations, as well as underwriting end customer purchases.

Revvity is a global life sciences and diagnostics company formed in 2023 following the rebranding of PerkinElmer. The company operates in two segments: life sciences, which provides reagents and instruments for biopharma and academic research, and signals software, and diagnostics, which offers tools in immunodiagnostics and newborn and reproductive health. Revvity’s products and services are sold worldwide, with major markets in the US, Europe, and China.

Pidilite Industries Ltd manufactures and sells paints, adhesives, and sealants in two segments based on the customer: The Branded Consumer & Bazaar segment, which generates the majority of revenue, sells adhesives and sealants, construction and paint chemicals, art and craft materials, and others. These products are widely used by carpenters, painters, plumbers, mechanics, households, students, offices, etc. The Business to Business segment sells industrial products such as industrial adhesives, resins, and organic pigments and preparations, etc., and caters to various industries like packaging, joineries, textiles, paints, printing inks, paper, leather, etc. Pidilite Industries sells its products through dealers and distribution networks. The vast majority of its revenue comes from India.

Cemex SAB de CV is a ready-mix concrete company that mainly engaged in activities that are oriented to the construction industry, mainly through the production, marketing, sale, and distribution of cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, urbanization solutions, and other construction materials and also provide related services and reliable construction-related services to customers and communities and maintain business relationships in more than 60 countries throughout the world. The company operates in different parts of the world, with operations in Mexico, the United States, the EMEA region and the SCA&C region.

Masco manufactures a variety of home improvement and building products. The company’s $5 billion plumbing segment, led by the Delta and Hansgrohe brands, sells faucets, showerheads, and other related plumbing fixtures and components. The roughly $2.5 billion decorative architectural segment primarily sells paints and other coatings under the Behr and Kilz brands, but it also sells builder hardware products.

IES Holdings Inc owns and manages subsidiaries that design and installs integrated electrical and technology systems and provide infrastructure products and services. It has four business segments; Communications, Residential, Infrastructure Solutions, and Commercial & Industrial. The majority of the revenue for the company is generated from its Residential segment in which the company provides electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and plumbing installation services. This segment also provides services for installing residential solar power, both for new construction and existing residences.

Stanley Black & Decker Inc offers hand tools, power tools, outdoor products, engineered fastening solutions, and related accessories. The company operates in two reportable business segments: Tools & Outdoor and Engineered Fastening. The majority of its revenue is generated from the Tools & Outdoor segment, which is comprised of the Power Tools Group (PTG), Hand Tools, Accessories and Storage (HTAS), and Outdoor Power Equipment (Outdoor) product lines. This segment's product offerings include drills, impact wrenches and drivers, grinders, saws, hammers, demolition tools, clamps, vises, knives, edge trimmers, lawn mowers, etc., which are offered through brands like Hustler, Dewalt, Craftsman, Stanley, and others. Geographically, the firm derives maximum revenue from the United States.

Dangote Cement PLC is a cement manufacturer. It manufactures and markets cement and related products through its 'Dangote' brand. The principal activity of the Company and its subsidiaries is to operate plants for the preparation, manufacture and distribution of cement and related products. The Company’s production activities are undertaken at Obajana town in Kogi State, Gboko in Benue State and Ibese in Ogun State; all in Nigeria. Its geographical segment includes Nigeria and Pan Africa. The company derives a majority of revenue from Nigeria segment.

Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd provides customers with high-performance medical imaging equipment, radiotherapy products, life science instruments, and medical digitalization and intelligent solutions. The company’s products include MRI systems, CT scanners, X-ray imaging equipment, molecular imaging systems, radiotherapy linear accelerators, and life science instruments.

Anhui Conch Cement mainly engages in the production and sale of cement, clinker, and concrete in China. The company was established in 1997 and headquartered in Anhui province. With annual cement production capacity of over 400 million metric tons in 2024, the firm is the second-largest cement manufacturer in China. Sales of self-produced products contribute to about 80% of its revenue, with the remainder mainly from the trading business and service income.

Carlisle Companies Inc is a holding company that manufactures and sells single-ply roofing products and warranted systems and accessories for the commercial building industry. It operates through two segments: Carlisle Construction Materials and Carlisle Weatherproofing Technologies. The majority of revenue comes from Carlisle Construction Materials, and more than half of total revenue is earned in the United States. Carlisle Construction Materials produces premium single-ply roofing products and warranted roof systems, including EPDM, TPO, PVC membrane, and polyiso insulation. Carlisle Weatherproofing Technologies produces building envelope solutions, including waterproofing, moisture protection products, air/vapor barriers, and spray polyurethane foam systems.

Lennox International manufacturers and distributes heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration products for the North American replacement (75% of sales) and new construction (25% of sales) markets. Residential HVAC (home comfort solutions) accounted for 67% of sales and commercial HVAC (building climate solutions) accounted for the remaining 33% of sales. To be clear, Lennox’s commercial exposure is what its peers refer to as “residential and light commercial,” lacks the scale and complexity of what is referred to as an “applied” solution. The company goes to market with multiple brands, but Lennox is the company’s flagship HVAC brand.

Belimo Holding AG is engaged in the development, production, and sales of field devices for the energy-efficient control of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system. The focus of the core business is on damper actuators, control valves, sensors, and meters, such as fire damper actuators, valve actuators, globe valves, throttle valves, duct sensors (air), and outdoor sensors (air), among others. The company, along with its subsidiaries, has four reportable operating segments: EMEA, Americas, Asia Pacific, and Shared Services. Maximum revenue for the company is generated from the Americas.

Watts Water Technologies Inc is a U.S.-based company that provides safety, energy efficiency, and water conservation products. Its product portfolio includes residential and commercial flow control products, which are sold for plumbing and hot water applications; HVAC and gas products, including commercial boilers, water heaters, heating solutions, etc.; drainage and water reuse products, including drainage products and engineered rainwater-harvesting solutions; and water quality products, including point-of-use and point-of-entry water filtration, conditioning, and scale prevention systems. Its products are marketed through brands like Watts, Apex, Bradley, Nexa, and others. Geographically, the company derives its key revenue from the Americas, followed by Europe and the APMEA region.

Pro Medicus is a healthcare IT company specializing in radiology imaging software. Its main product, Visage 7, is a clinical desktop application that radiologists use to view, enhance, and manipulate images from any device and make a diagnosis. Its main customers are US private academic hospitals. In fiscal 2025, Pro Medicus earned 90% of revenue in North America, 8% from Australia, and the remaining 2% in Europe.

BioMérieux designs, develops, and manufactures a broad portfolio of in vitro diagnostics for detecting disease-causing pathogens and contamination. The company operates in four segments: molecular biology (42% of 2024 sales), microbiology (33%), immunoassays (10%), and industrial applications (about 15%). The Americas account for the largest portion of the firm's revenue (40%), followed by Asia-Pacific (27%) and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (27%). BioMérieux is headquartered in Marcy-l'Étoile, France.

SSAB AB (publ) is a Swedish steel producer specializing in high-strength and specialty steels for applications across industries like automotive, construction, heavy transport, mining, and energy. The company manufactures quenched and tempered steels, high-strength steels, heavy plates, strip products, and tubular goods through divisions including SSAB Special Steels, SSAB Europe, and SSAB Americas, with production sites mainly in Sweden, Finland, and the United States.

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc is the manufacturer of water management solutions in the stormwater and onsite septic wastewater industries, providing superior drainage solutions for use in the construction and agriculture marketplaces. Its products are used across a broad range of end markets and applications, including residential, non-residential, infrastructure and agriculture applications. It operates business in three distinct reportable segments: Pipe; International, and Infiltrator. It generates a greater proportion of revenue from its Pipe segment, which consists of Pipe product sales in the United States. The Infiltrator is a provider of plastic leachfield chambers and systems, septic tanks and accessories, for use in residential applications.

Owens-Corning Inc is a building products company that offers roofing products and systems, insulation products (hermal and acoustical batts, loose fill insulation, spray foam insulation, wet use chopped strand, etc.), and doors and door systems. The company's reportable segments are: Roofing, Insulation, and Doors. Maximum revenue is generated from the Roofing segment, which manufactures and sells residential roofing shingles, oxidized asphalt materials, roofing components, and composite lumber mainly used in residential construction. This segment also manufactures and sells glass mat and specialty veil materials used in building and construction applications. Geographically, the company generates maximum revenue from the United States, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other markets.

Qiagen offers proprietary sample and assay technology to extract, purify, amplify, and interpret DNA, RNA, and proteins. The company's sales are split almost evenly between applications in life sciences and molecular diagnostics. Qiagen generates nearly 90% of its revenue from consumables with the balance coming from instrumentation and related services. The Americas account for the largest portion of the firm's revenue (52% of 2024 sales), followed by EMEA (33%), and the Asia-Pacific (15%).

Acuity is a leading industrial technology company that offers lighting, lighting controls, and intelligent building solutions. It designs, manufactures, and brings to market products and services relating to these and other offerings. Acuity has two reportable segments: Acuity Brands Lighting and Acuity Intelligent Spaces. ABL sells commercial, architectural, and specialty lighting, including components and control systems. AIS offers building management and audio/visual solutions to help make buildings intelligent.

NIBE Industrier AB manufactures and sells energy-efficient products for industrial and consumer use. The firm is organized into three segments by product type. The climate solutions segment, which generates the majority of revenue, sells HVAC systems and hot water heaters to homes, apartment buildings, and other large properties. The elements segment sells components and elements to multiple industries, including appliance manufacturers, home remodelers, energy, and automotive. The stoves segment sells energy-efficient stoves and chimney systems to residential and commercial customers. The vast majority of revenue comes from Europe.

SPX Technologies Inc supplies engineered heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC, products, as well as detection and measurement technologies and power equipment. The company through two reportable segments. The HVAC segment which generates the majority of the revenue for the company, designs, manufactures, installs, and services cooling products, as well as heating and ventilation products. The Detection and Measurement technologies segment designs, manufactures, and installs underground pipe and cable locators and inspection equipment, bus-fare collection systems, and others. Geographically, the company has its operations in the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, and Others. It derives maximum revenue from United States.

voestalpine AG is engaged in the manufacturing, processing and development of steel products. The company is divided into five divisions. The Steel Division is involved in the production of steel products and the casting of large turbines. The High-Performance metals Division provides metals for the automotive, consumer goods, power generation, energy and aviation sectors. The Metal Engineering division produces rails, turnout systems, track-based monitoring systems, specially treated wire and others. The Metal Forming Division provides customized special and precision sections, as well as solutions for systems in the construction, cab construction for commercial vehicles, and aviation sectors; and and Holding & Group Services. The company generates its revenue from the European Union.

AAON Inc is a manufacturer of air-conditioning and heating equipment. The products include rooftop units, chillers, packaged outdoor mechanical rooms, air-handling units, makeup air units, energy-recovery units, condensing units, geothermal heat pumps, and self-contained units and coils. The company operates through three segments: AAON Oklahoma, AAON Coil Products, and BASX. It generates the majority of its revenue from the AAON Oklahoma segment which engineers, manufactures, and sells, semi-custom, and custom HVAC systems, designs and manufactures control solutions, and sells retail parts to customers through retail part stores and online.