Family Owned And Operated

Founded in 1945 by Frank Mallek, Tri-City was purchased by Denis and Carole Virnig in 1974. Denis and Carole have owned Tri-City Refrigeration for 29 years, half of Tri-City's life. Denis and Carole have three children who grew up with the business and now work with "mom and dad." Their son-in-law also works at Tri-City. Scott Virnig is a senior service technician, Sue (Virnig) Lockman is the Construction Coordinator, Andrea (Virnig) Jensen is the Operations Manager, and Andrew Jensen is a senior service technician.



Tri-City employs a staff of 13 full-time team members, including Denis. Tri-City's family includes Mark, who has been with our team for over fifteen years! Scott joined our team in 1992, Sue in 1995, Chuck in 1996, Andy in 1997, Brent and Andrea in 1999, Joe in 2001, Justin in 2003, Mark P. and Nancy in 2004, and Vern in 2005. We are a close family and enjoy working together to serve you as our extended family.

Carrier Equipment

We choose Carrier equipment because we feel it provides you with the most comfort that money can buy. There are other brands out there that you could buy, but we firmly believe that Carrier has the best product. And after all, Dr. Willis Carrier did invent air conditioning 100 years ago!

Keeping Up With Technology

We are continually supporting our team members' personal and professional development by affording them seminars and schools, ultimately benefiting you, our team members, and Tri-City Refrigeration. Some recent seminars that we have attended covered pneumatics, Rehau radiant floor heating, Puron Refrigerant, controls, ice machines, chillers, building code updates, and energy savings. The skill level and dedication of our employees enables us to contract complex work at health care facilities, food production facilities, laboratories, paper mills, publishing facilities, and many more locations!

All of our technicians and mechanics are required to serve an apprenticeship, whether it be with us or a previous employer. A five-year apprenticeship will provide the training and skills that we require of our technicians and mechanics. We do not hire just anybody and put them in a truck; when a technician or mechanic arrives at your door to either install a new system or service your existing system, you can be sure that the technician or mechanic has been trained properly.

Our office staff is required to hold a degree in their field or have adequate prior experience. Degrees that our office staff has earned include an Associate and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

As you can see, we employ well-trained, skilled professionals to serve you. You deserve no less.

Your Security Is Vital

We are aware of the rampant crime rate in our nation and pay close attention to your security interests. Although we're lucky to have a low crime rate in our area, crime still happens - but not if we have anything to say about it. We carefully screen service and installation technicians and do mandatory random drug testing. Our service technicians are supplied with company uniforms, identification, and business cards. Also for your peace of mind, we instruct our employees to park the company vehicle where it is readily visible so that you know who's at your door.

We feel that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Planned maintenance programs can guard against catastrophic breakdowns and keep your home's heating and air conditioning system functioning safely and at peak performance. Our maintenance programs offer a great family of benefits including discounts and annual maintenance. Optional Carrier extended parts and labor warranties are also available for your peace of mind, added value, and protection for years to come.

Customer Service And Satisfaction

We've been recognized by Carrier Corporation for superior workmanship and customer satisfaction. We will continue to achieve that standard to meet and exceed your expectations.

We take the time to give you the personal attention that you deserve, whether you're replacing or repairing your comfort system. We have specific procedures that we follow to ensure that you get the comfort that you and your family desire; we don't have cookie cutter quotations because your home and family are unique. We'll explain your options, give our recommendation, and answer all of your questions so that you can make an informed decision to keep your family comfortable.

No Surprises Pricing

We've turned to Flat Rate pricing. This means that we quote you the full price of a job before we begin the work. There is no more "watching the meter run" and wondering how much more it will cost. Flat Rate pricing takes out the guessing games; it's like ordering a steak dinner at your favorite restaurant - you know the cost of the steak dinner before you order and aren't surprised when you get the bill. We know Flat Rate pricing is what our customers want because we asked them.

Engineering And Design/Build

Tri-City Refrigeration has an in-house design/build capability. President Denis Virnig is a licensed Designer of Engineering Systems. Denis has been in the HVAC industry since 1969 and is well experienced in HVAC and system design. We work closely with architects, engineers, and general contractors to satisfy your needs and desires.

Design/Build's goal is to give you everything that you need and nothing that you don't. See Construction for more information.

Design/Build is our specialty. About four years ago, we finished a large project at Worzalla Publishing in Stevens Point. The first phase was heating and cooling a 100,000 square foot addition. They then "moved into" the new expansion area and the second phase began. They were remodeling the space they moved out of, so we had to redesign the heating and cooling system for that area. The entire project took a little over two years. We installed state-of-the-art Carrier DDC controls on the system so that we can monitor it from our office or on-site. We appreciate the excellent relationship that we have established with Worzalla over the years. Thank you Worzalla; we look forward to serving you for many years to come!

Commitment To Excellence And Our Community

In support of our community and the lives of our neighbors, we lead an annual holiday food drive and support local charities and organizations to assist our neighbors in need. We're members of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau and the Heart of Wisconsin Business and Economic Alliance. We're also active members of contractor organizations such as the Nexstar Network, Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), Central Wisconsin Home Builders Association, and Association of General Contractors.

How We Got Our Unique Name

Tri-City Refrigeration was born in Wisconsin Rapids in 1945 and was named after the "tri-cities" of Wisconsin Rapids, Port Edwards, and Nekoosa. Since then, Tri-City Refrigeration has grown to serve other areas including Rome/Lakes, Adams-Friendship, Stevens Point, Marshfield, and Wausau, but we still call the tri-city area home.

Our mission remains focused on you and your safety, comfort, and satisfaction. We continue to live our mission, with every team member contributing all that they can, every day. Tri-City offers a dedicated team of service technicians, installers, sheet metal mechanics, office staff, and management. We're committed to providing excellent customer service that you can depend upon in the future.