Banjo Equipment Company

Banjo Equipment Company Freezing to Please Since 1918
Contractors, Engineers, and Experts of Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration

When you’re looking for an older refrigeration part, the smallest details can make a big difference.A photo of the tag.A...
08/16/2026

When you’re looking for an older refrigeration part, the smallest details can make a big difference.

A photo of the tag.

A casting number.

The make and model.

Connection sizes.

Compressor information.

Even a few pictures from different angles can help us figure out what you’re working with and what direction to go next.

In industrial ammonia refrigeration, especially with older systems, parts are not always as simple as typing a number into a search bar. Sometimes numbers have changed. Sometimes manufacturers no longer support certain items. Sometimes the part has to be identified by experience, application, or what it came off of.

That’s why we always appreciate as much information as you can send.

If you’re looking for a hard-to-find part, valve, compressor component, control, or piece of equipment, send us what you have and we’ll take a look.

We may ask a few questions; but that’s part of getting it right.

Banjo Equipment Company
Freezing to Please Since 1918
Knowledge. Experience. Solutions.

August 10, 2020 is a day we will never forget.When the derecho came through Cedar Rapids, Banjo Equipment Company was hi...
08/11/2026

August 10, 2020 is a day we will never forget.

When the derecho came through Cedar Rapids, Banjo Equipment Company was hit hard. We lost one entire building, half of another, and the roof off a third.

It was devastating.

For our family, for our business, and for so many others in our community, that day changed life moving forward. It was more than damaged buildings and cleanup. It was emotional. It was overwhelming. It was one of those moments where you realize how quickly everything can change.

Just this past week, some of our friends experienced similar damage from straight-line winds, and it has brought a lot of those feelings back.

We reflect each time a storm rolls through on how differently it’s felt since that day. How the word “derecho” is now thrown into your local weather man’s vocabulary without the recognition of how devastating that word feels.

Today, we are reflecting on what August 10 meant for us; the loss, the stress, the rebuilding, and the people who showed up.

Because that is what we remember most.

Our family came together.
Our employees came together.
Our community came together.

And slowly, piece by piece, Banjo rebuilt.

As a small family business, moments like that are deeply personal. This is not just a company name to us. It is our family’s history, our livelihood, and a place that has carried generations of work, sacrifice, and pride.

Today, we’re sharing some photos from that time as a reminder of what we went through, what so many others went through, and the strength it took to keep going.

To everyone who helped, checked in, cleaned up, rebuilt, or simply cared; thank you.

We are still here.
Still grateful.
Still rebuilding in more ways than one.

Banjo Equipment Company
Freezing to Please Since 1918

When Hank Williams Jr. said “it’s a family tradition,” we knew he really meant it.Banjo has always been more than a busi...
08/09/2026

When Hank Williams Jr. said “it’s a family tradition,” we knew he really meant it.

Banjo has always been more than a business name. It’s been family, grit, problem-solving, and generations of people showing up to do the work.

Some things change over the years, but that part hasn’t.

**Banjo Equipment Company**
Freezing to Please Since 1918
Knowledge. Experience. Solutions.

Sometimes the call starts with:“We’re not sure who else to ask.”And honestly, that’s where Banjo has always fit.Industri...
08/02/2026

Sometimes the call starts with:

“We’re not sure who else to ask.”

And honestly, that’s where Banjo has always fit.

Industrial ammonia refrigeration is not always straightforward. Some systems are older. Some parts are harder to identify. Some equipment has been repaired, rebuilt, modified, or kept running for decades.

Not every answer comes from a catalog.

Sometimes it comes from experience.

Sometimes it comes from remembering a system you worked on years ago.

Sometimes it comes from walking through the warehouse, checking the shelves, and knowing what you’re looking at.

For over 100 years, Banjo Equipment Company has helped customers solve refrigeration problems that are not always simple, shiny, or new.

We don’t always have every answer immediately — but we’re always willing to look, listen, and help figure out the next step.

That’s what keeps people calling.

**Banjo Equipment Company**
Freezing to Please Since 1918
Knowledge. Experience. Solutions.

A lot of older refrigeration equipment still has life left in it.In industrial ammonia refrigeration, replacement isn’t ...
07/26/2026

A lot of older refrigeration equipment still has life left in it.

In industrial ammonia refrigeration, replacement isn’t always simple — or necessary. Sometimes the better answer is knowing what can be rebuilt, repaired, adjusted, or brought back into service.

That kind of knowledge doesn’t come from a catalog.

It comes from years in the field, hands-on experience, and working with equipment across generations of systems.

At Banjo, compressor rebuilds and older equipment support have been part of what we do for a long time. We know many plants are still relying on equipment that has been running for decades, and when something goes down, they need answers from someone who understands what they’re looking at.

If you have an older compressor, component, or refrigeration issue that others aren’t sure what to do with, give us a call.

We’re always willing to take a look.

**Banjo Equipment Company**
Freezing to Please Since 1918
Knowledge. Experience. Solutions.

07/19/2026

Not every refrigeration part comes in a shiny new box.

Sometimes it’s on a shelf.

Sometimes it’s been sitting in a warehouse for years.

Sometimes it takes someone knowing what they’re looking at — and knowing where to look.

One of the things Banjo is known for is helping customers track down industrial refrigeration parts that aren’t always easy to find anymore. Older systems are still out there doing important work, and when something breaks, “just replace the whole thing” isn’t always realistic.

That’s where our shelves, our records, and a little old-school refrigeration knowledge come in handy.

If you’re looking for an older ammonia refrigeration part, compressor component, valve, control, or piece of equipment, give us a call.

We may not always have it — but there’s a good chance we’ll know what you’re talking about.

**Banjo Equipment Company**
Freezing to Please Since 1918

07/15/2026

Oh my GOODNESS, this summer has gotten away from me.

We have had every intention of sharing more here, and somehow the days just keep moving faster than we can keep up with. But we’re finally ready to start showing up a little more and sharing the story behind Banjo Equipment Company.

Banjo has been part of Cedar Rapids since 1918, and our family has been part of this business for four generations.

For over 100 years, Banjo has served the industrial ammonia refrigeration industry through engineering, construction, service, compressor rebuilds, new and used equipment, and hard-to-find parts.

But the longer I’m involved, the more I realize Banjo is more than a list of services.

It’s the phone calls from customers looking for something they can’t find anywhere else.

It’s the old parts on the shelf that someone still needs.

It’s the equipment that has been around for decades and still matters.

It’s the knowledge that comes from doing this work generation after generation.

It’s being the place people call when they need an answer.

We are a small family business with a lot of history, and we’re excited to start sharing more of that history, our work, and the pieces of this industry that make Banjo who we are.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Banjo over the years. We’re grateful to still be here, still working, and still freezing to please since 1918.

For over 100 years, Banjo Equipment has been helping keep industrial refrigeration systems running.But if you ask our cu...
06/09/2026

For over 100 years, Banjo Equipment has been helping keep industrial refrigeration systems running.

But if you ask our customers what makes us different, it usually isn't the projects we've completed or the equipment we've installed.

It's the phone calls.

The call from someone looking for a part they can't find anywhere else.

The call from a contractor trying to solve a problem that's stumped everyone else.

The call from an OEM referring a customer because they know Banjo may still have the knowledge, experience, or inventory to help.

We're a fourth-generation family business founded in 1918, and over the years we've built more than a warehouse. We've built a collection of hard-to-find parts, decades of refrigeration knowledge, and relationships that span generations.

Recently, we received a call from a customer who had been referred to us by a major OEM because we were one of the only places they knew of that might still carry the parts they needed.

That's what Banjo has become.

Not just a refrigeration company.

A resource.

A problem solver.

A place people call when they need an answer.

Over the coming weeks, we'd like to introduce ourselves to a new generation of customers by sharing some of the equipment, parts, stories, and history that have made Banjo what it is today.

If you've worked with Banjo over the years, we'd love to hear your story in the comments.

Thank you for trusting us for more than 100 years.

— The Banjo Equipment Team

We're back online and better than ever. Banjo Equipment Company has been serving you since 1918 — and now, we're proud t...
04/25/2025

We're back online and better than ever. Banjo Equipment Company has been serving you since 1918 — and now, we're proud to be bringing that same trusted service to a brand-new website! 🤍😎
Modern. Easier to use. Mobile-friendly.
Take a look → https://banjoequipment.com

04/02/2024

No long caption necessary. Support your neighbors and Look Local First.

Address

705 16TH Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA
52401

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5am
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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