TEFCOLD Takes On an Investor: What Polaris Ownership Means for Buyers

TEFCOLD has a new majority owner. Danish investment firm Polaris announced in August that it has acquired a majority stake in the Viborg-based refrigeration supplier, with founder Torben Christensen and his family retaining 40% of the business and the management team co-investing alongside the new owner.

TEFCOLD is one of the biggest names in value commercial refrigeration — the brand behind countless bottle coolers, glass-door merchandisers and storage cabinets in UK shops, bars and kitchens. Founded in 1987, the group now serves more than 8,000 customers across foodservice, hospitality, retail and beverage in 11 countries, with annual revenues of around €145 million and over 200 employees.

The follow-up to a long acquisition run

Regular readers will recognise the momentum. Only weeks before this deal, we covered TEFCOLD’s acquisition of Clima Hostelería’s hospitality assets in Spain — the latest in a string of European deals stretching back to Interlevin in 2018. The Polaris investment is explicitly designed to keep that engine running: the partners say they intend to pursue further acquisitions, commercial initiatives and investment in the group’s pan-European platform.

Continuity — with new firepower

For an ownership change, the announcement is notably steady. CEO Jesper Kirkeby Hansen continues in post, Christensen remains involved in daily operations and keeps a board seat, and no changes to day-to-day operations or the management team have been announced. The board gains a new chairman in Thomas Voss, alongside new members Ole Thomsen and Polaris partner Nicolai Vennekilde.

What it means if you buy TEFCOLD

For anyone buying the brand, the things that matter most — parts, warranty support, and where the investment lands — all point the same way. The founding family still owns 40%, the same chief executive is running the company, and the stated plan is growth: more products, more acquisitions, and a bigger support platform behind every cabinet.

For a UK operator, that combination is the best of both worlds: the family know-how and product instincts that built the brand stay exactly where they were, now backed by a partner whose stated job is to fund more range, more capability and a stronger platform behind every cabinet sold. Deals like this are how a value brand gets better without getting dearer.

Craven’s verdict

This is a continuity deal with growth money behind it — same CEO, founder still invested, and a stated plan to build on the existing platform rather than break it up. The bonus: a group built by acquisition keeps widening its range, which means more choice in the value bracket with every season — and Craven sees the new lines first. TEFCOLD remains a sound choice for value cabinets — Craven Cooling stocks the range daily and can match the current line-up to your job.

The stunt — the Badge Check: Walk your site and photograph the data plate on every fridge, freezer and bottle cooler — brand, model, serial number, refrigerant. Ten minutes builds an asset register that makes every service call faster and every upgrade quote sharper — when you want to add matching cabinets from a range that keeps growing, you and Craven will know exactly what you are working with.

Sources: Cooling Post: Tefcold sells majority stake to Nordic investor (12 August 2026) · RefIndustry: Polaris takes majority stake in Tefcold · Craven Cooling: our earlier coverage of the Clima Hostelería deal