A common question consumers often have is who makes a given brand of furnace or air conditioner. And many consumers may not realize that popular makes of heating and cooling equipment are owned by the same parent company.
In many cases, brands are acquired by larger multinational conglomerates and added to their portfolio.
Reasons manufacturers acquire other brands
- Expanding their market reach by acquiring a brand that may be popular in a particular region or country, or achieving deeper market penetration
- Targeting new market segments, like high-income consumers
- Diversification, such as acquiring a company that makes a different but related type of product (e.g. furnace & A/C manufacturer acquiring a ductless mini-split manufacturer)
- Acquiring technology or manufacturing capabilities, or achieving greater economies of scale and lowering costs
- Overall growth, or other strategic goals and ‘synergies’
Sometimes these brands will be allowed to continue operating largely independently, or the parent company may take a more hands-on approach and seek to improve the manufacturing process, increase efficiency, eliminate redundancies, merge distribution channels or supply chains, or share technology and components.
Note that although two brands may be owned by the same parent company, this does not necessarily mean that the heating & air conditioning systems are the same. Some parts may be shared between them, and the units may even look similar, but certain core components may be different, the manufacturing process may be different, and warranties or other features may not be the same.
Similar to different car brands operating under a larger conglomerate, each brand may be designed to appeal to a specific target market or type of homeowner, with different features and price points.
Ownership Breakdown of Top HVAC Manufacturers
Now, on to the list of who makes or owns every major make and brand of furnace or air conditioner. Note that we’ve limited ourselves to the most common manufacturers sold in the Canadian market.
Here’s a breakdown of who owns or makes which furnace and air conditioner brands:
Johnson Controls owns/makes:[1]
- York
- Luxaire
- Coleman
Trane Technologies plc owns/makes:[2]
- American Standard
- Trane
UPDATE: In 2020 Ingersoll Rand spun off its HVAC division, which it is renaming Trane Technologies plc
Carrier Global Corp. owns/makes:[3]
- Carrier
- Bryant
- Payne
- International Comfort Products, which owns/makes:[4]
- ComfortMaker
- Arcoaire
- Heil
- KeepRite
- Tempstar
UPDATE: In 2020 U.T.C. underwent a merger with Raytheon Company, which involved spinning off its HVAC division into a new company called Carrier Global Corp.
Daikin Comfort Technologies, L.P. owns/makes:[5]
- Daikin
- Goodman
- Amana
Daikin recently renamed its parent company to reflect a more unified structure between all subsidiaries.
Lennox International owns/makes:[6]
- Lennox
- Service Experts (Joint venture between: Lennox & Enercare)
- ALLIED AIR ENTERPRISES, LLC, which owns/makes:[7]
- Concord
- Armstrong Air
- Ducane
- Aire-flo
Nortek Global HVAC owns/makes:[7]
- Frigidaire
- Maytag
Rheem Manufacturing Company owns/makes:[8]
- Rheem
- Ruud
Wolf Steel Ltd. owns/makes: [9][10]
- Napoleon
- Continental
It can be fascinating to see how well-known and sometimes seemingly competing brands are actually owned by the same organization, and how various mergers and acquisitions have shaped the HVAC industry.
That being said, you should not necessarily base your purchasing decision on this list. There can be a number of factors, including the reliability of the actual contractor or distributor, and the quality of the installation that can impact the performance and longevity of your heating & cooling system.
To get a quote from trusted local distributors in your area, check out our FREE Quote Page.
Has there been a major brand acquisition we’re not aware of or think something is inaccurate? Let us know!
Sources
- https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/buildings/our-brands
- https://www.warrantyweek.com/archive/ww20211202.html
- https://www.warrantyweek.com/archive/ww20211202.html
- https://www.icpusa.com/who.html
- https://www.amana-hac.com/about-us/amana-history
- https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1069202/000119312512065358/d259633dex211.htm
- https://www.nortekhvac.com/
- https://www.rheem.com/about
- https://continentalheatingandcooling.com/about-us/
- https://ca.linkedin.com/company/wolf-steel-ltd
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