(HICKORY, Ky.) (Nov. 4, 2025) – MRCOOL celebrated the opening of its newly expanded facility in Graves County today, marking a $5.35 million investment that is creating 40 new full-time jobs.
HVAC Distributing has been a part of the commonwealth’s logistics and distribution industry for over 10 years, and continues to expand its presence with the growth of the MRCOOL brand.
For this expansion, announced in August 2023, the MRCOOL team built out 22,000 square feet of office space at the Remington Way location in the Hickory Industrial Park (HIP). The expansion brings the facility’s total to 120,750 square feet and complements the 100,000-square-foot distribution site up the hill as part of the HIP campus. The expanded operation includes two floors of office space; a large showroom; a video graphics area for marketing; a technical, customer service and warranty teams call center; and a training facility for employees, dealers and franchisees. The company currently employees 279 workers, with 276 of those being Kentuckians. The company is also currently looking to fill nine open positions.
“This expansion represents more than just growth for MRCOOL – it’s a testament to the innovation, hard work and commitment of our Kentucky-based team,” said Jason O. Ingram, co-founding managing member of HVAC Distributing and MRCOOL. “From the beginning, we’ve believed that big ideas can come from small towns, and this milestone shows what’s possible when people take pride in what they build together.”
Doug Ingram, co-founding managing member of HVAC Distributing and MRCOOL, added, “Our goal has always been to make advanced, energy-efficient comfort technology accessible to everyone. This expansion strengthens our ability to deliver on that promise while continuing to invest in our community, our workforce and the future of innovation right here in Kentucky.”
Founded in Hickory in 2013, HVAC Distributing is a national wholesale distributor of heating and air conditioning equipment. The next year, the MRCOOL brand came to life and MRCOOL LLC was established.
In August 2020, the company announced plans to open a second operation in the Hickory Industrial Park, a $7 million investment that created 175 jobs.
Their most recent development, MRCOOL Franchising LLC, launched in 2023 to foster growth throughout the U.S. and Canada with the promise to deliver quality HVAC products faster and establish MRCOOL as a household name. The family-owned business provides logistics support to MRCOOL, its vast product line including DIY mini splits, GEOCOOL and a long list of contractor grade products, all backed by MRCOOL’s technical and warranty support in Hickory.
Graves County Judge/Executive Jesse Perry spoke on the long term impact of the project: “We’re proud to see a locally founded company like MRCOOL continuing to invest in our community. Their success reflects the talent and dedication of our people, and this expansion will have a lasting positive impact on families across Graves County.”
Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan mentioned the economic success the county is seeing: “It is evident that the economy in Graves County is thriving, and this expansion by MRCOOL is such an outstanding example of that. We are proud of their contributions to our community and congratulate this home-grown enterprise on this growth to their business.”
Graves County Economic Development President Jason Lemle congratulated the company on the expansion: “As a locally grown business, it is encouraging to see their continued growth and success here in Graves County. Seeing MRCOOL thrive is a testament to the Ingrams family’s commitment to their employees, their community and their customers. Congratulations to the Ingram’s family and their team for this tremendous improvement to their existing business operations here in Graves County.”
