| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | HVAC |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Founder(s) | Ed Friedrich |
| Headquarters | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Key people | George Van Hoomissen (President & CEO) |
| Website | friedrich.com |
Friedrich Air Conditioning is a privately held company which manufactures commercial grade room air conditioners and specialty cooling products for residential and light commercial applications. The company is based in San Antonio, Texas.
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 to its present location on the Pan Am Expressway in San Antonio, once part of Fort Sam Houston. In 2008, the company moved the bulk of its production to Mexico.[1][2]