Type Private Website friedrich.com Founded 1883 | Industry HVAC Founder Ed Friedrich | |
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Headquarters 10001 Reunion Place
San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Key people Chuck Campbell, President Profiles | ||
Friedrich air conditioning 1976 commercial with peter graves
Friedrich Air Conditioning is a privately held company that manufactures commercial-grade room air conditioners and specialty cooling products for residential and light commercial applications. The company is based in Uptown, San Antonio, Texas.
Contents
Friedrich air conditioning a manufacturing marvel
History
The company was founded in 1883 by Ed Friedrich as a manufacturer of handcrafted furniture and other goods such as billiards tables, store fixtures, and other cabinetry. He later turned towards refrigeration and developed products to enhance food preservation.
After initially focusing on optimizing ice as a coolant, Friedrich looked towards mechanical refrigeration.
By 1950, the company was a large manufacturer of commercial refrigeration equipment. It entered the relatively new field of air conditioning in 1952 with its first window air conditioning units. The company is credited with several innovations, including introducing the first refrigerated display case for food retailers.
In 1971, the company moved its headquarters to the Pan Am Expressway on San Antonio's Near East Side, once part of Fort Sam Houston. In 2008, the company moved the bulk of its production to Mexico. In 2010, the company moved its headquarters again to a building in Uptown San Antonio, to the immediate west of the city's airport. The company was acquired by Corinthian Capital in December, 2012.
Friedrich is now focused on manufacturing room air conditioners. Their products include window, thru-the-wall, portable and ductless air conditioners, as well as dehumidifiers.