Friedrich Air Conditioning


Friedrich Air Conditioning is an American 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.

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.
Friedrich CP series window air conditioner units were previously produced by Panasonic. These units were historically known for their extremely quiet operation and that tradition carries on with the Friedrich branded units with "CP" model numbers. They are made in the same factory and maintain the same overall engineering as the earlier Panasonic units.