Lennox International Inc. is a provider of climate control products for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, (in the complex colloquially called: HVAC) and refrigeration markets. The company is based outside Dallas, Texas in the United States and has operations globally.
History
The company was founded in 1895, in Marshalltown, Iowa, by Dave Lennox, the owner of a machine repair business for railroads. Inventors Ezra William Smith and Ernest Bryant brought their idea for a riveted steel coal-fired furnace to his machine shop to build parts for a prototype. In lieu of payment, Lennox accepted their patent, obtaining rights to the idea. He founded the Lennox Furnace Co. improving the design that led to numerous advancements in heating, cooling and climate control solutions.[3] The company was sold in 1904 to DW Norris who managed the company until his death in 1949, following which ownership devolved to his descendants who continued to hold a prominent position in the company in the following decades.[4][5][6]
From 1964-65, Lennox dabbled in the lawn and garden industry by building a small crawler tractor and mower called the Lennox Kitty Track 600. It featured a 6 hp (4.5 kW) Briggs & Stratton engine and a 32" mower deck.[7]
In 1971 the small, nonprofitable (low pressure) gas cylinder business of Lennox Industries was sold to Worthington Industries, marking its first diversification step.[8][9]
In 1973, Lennox purchased the commercial refrigeration products firm Heatcraft, including the Larkin, Bohn, Chandler, and Climate Control brands.[10][11] In 2010, the Kysor/Warren brand was added under the Heatcraft umbrella.[12]
Air conditioning
Lennox has three different series of air conditioners, Elite, Dave Lennox Signature Collection and Merit series.[13]
Brands
Besides the namesake Lennox brand, the company sells a number of brands under its Allied Air subsidiary, including the following:[14]
Concord
Ducane
Allied
AirEase
Armstrong Air
Magic-Pak
Advanced Distributor Products (ADP)
Heatcraft
Plant locations
Marshalltown, Iowa, USA - Main plant that manufactures furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners
Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA - Allied Air products including furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners
^Marshalltown Times Republican,"Lennox Has A Rich History," July 31, 1993, p9A; ibid. "Highlights from 100 years of Lennox Industries Inc.," Nov. 19, 1994,p.30
^Worthington Industries, Inc. History fundinguniverse.com, from: International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 21. St. James Press, 1998, retrieved 20 October 2016.
