About Us

WARE is one of the nation’s largest and most expansive boiler service companies. Thanks to our extensive fleet of ready-to-transport boilers, our team of over 165 employees is ready to support you with sales, rentals, and service both in the United States and internationally.

History of WARE

Founded in 1952 as Ivan Ware & Son, WARE started as a residential air conditioning and heating company. Founder, Ivan Ware, was a former oil burner serviceman for a local oil company. In 1971, under his leadership, WARE expanded after listening to his son, Richard Ware, to include a boiler rental business, becoming the first company in the area to provide handling, supervising, installation, start-up and operational services at the customer's request. By 1973, WARE became the largest in our industry in the Louisville area. In 1975, Ivan Ware retired due to health reasons but continued to serve as an advisor to the business.

Shortly after, his children Richard Ware and Kit Moore took over WARE and continued the family philosophy of servicing customers better than anyone else in the business. Their vision and tireless hours of work continued to build the foundation for what WARE is today — and what it will be in the future.

Today the company is run by our third generation of leaders — Richard's sons, co-owners Ritchie and Daniel Ware, and his son-in-law Brent Falcone. 

Carrying the Legacy

Since 1995, we’ve expanded our offices and grown into one of the largest and most extensive service companies in the southeast. 

WARE continues to sell new boiler equipment as well as rebuilding and marketing used boilers to potential customers. Our company’s service department maintains the boiler rental equipment and its commercial and industrial customers. The parts department is equipped with over 40,000 boiler parts in stock for internal shop and service and maintains inventory to support outside sales. Among the portable equipment available for rent are boilers built inside semi-trailers, boilers mounted on low-boy trailers, and boiler room equipment sent out on skids. WARE has provided emergency services to customers nationwide with temporary steam, hot water for power, heat, comfort and processing. We are recognized as one of the leaders in the industry.

WARE Boiler University began in 1993 and today WARE has a 12,000 sq ft facility, complete with a lecture hall and lab with four fully operational boilers for ultimate training.

In 2003, WARE purchased "The Valve Shop" and now offers new, reconditioned and surplus valves. The Valve Shop also offers onsite testing with a mobile valve shop business. This move has given WARE just one more leg up on its competitors to become the single source for steam needs.

Putting Culture at the Forefront

WARE attribute much of our success to our company culture, and while it might not have been as defined when we first opened our doors in 1952, it has carried us into the present and future. Our culture has always been about more than just the products and services we offer. At the heart of everything we do are our brand pillars, or commitment, and we hold onto that promise through our Daily Seven. 

1. SAFETY FIRST & ALWAYS - Your safety, and the safety of our customers, is our highest priority.
2. BE RESPONSIVE - Our motor has to match our customer’s demands. Don’t make people wait.
3. BE HELPFUL - We all get better when we help each other out.
4. DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME - Deliver a quality product the first time around, when it’s expected.
5. COMMUNICATE - We need you to be an active and effective communicator to make things work.
6. OWN IT - Be a person who takes responsibility and gets things done.
7. FIGURE IT OUT - Take the initiative to fix it and show the grit to stay with it.

A Look Into the Future

WARE has expanded services into five states including Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, has over 175 employees, and is one of the top boiler rental businesses in the United States, with offices in Louisville, KY, Chattanooga, TN and Dennison, TX. Today 26 companies represent WARE’s rental business and are scattered throughout the Country.

Since our beginning as an HVAC contractor, WARE has seen tremendous growth. Beyond being an innovator in the boiler industry – we’ve served people, communities, small and large businesses alike. Our steam boilers have and continue to provide thousands of people with warmth in cold and harsh conditions and so much more.

Did you know that 80% of everything we own, touch, and interact with daily is made up of steam in some way? Steam is an integral part of everyone’s life, and WARE is humbled and honored to supply steam. We’ve come a long way since 1952, but we like to think of this as just the beginning. Everyone from our industrial boiler technicians to our BoilerU teachers, to our leadership team, looks forward to being a part of WARE’s growth in the years to come. Cheers.