The Brand Story
Carrier: The Company That Gave Air Conditioning Its Name
In 1902 a young mechanical engineer at the Buffalo Forge Company in western New York worked out a way to control the temperature and moisture of air by machine. That work is widely credited as the beginning of modern air conditioning. The engineer was Willis Carrier, and the company that still carries his name is now one of the largest heating and cooling manufacturers in the world.
Chapter 1 · 1902 to 1915
Seven engineers and $32,600
Carrier spent his early career at Buffalo Forge refining the science of conditioning air. In 1915 he and six fellow engineers pooled $32,600 and formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation on June 26, 1915. It was a company of engineers selling engineered systems, and for its first decades most of its work went into factories, theaters and large buildings rather than homes.
Chapter 2 · 1930s to 1979
Syracuse and a corporate parent
In the 1930s Carrier moved its operations from New Jersey to Syracuse, New York, which became the company's long-time home and the center of its manufacturing for decades. As air conditioning spread from commercial buildings into American homes after the war, Carrier grew with it. In July 1979 United Technologies acquired the company, and Carrier spent the next four decades as part of that industrial conglomerate.
Chapter 3 · 2020 to today
Independent again, with a Florida address
In April 2020 United Technologies completed the spin-off of Carrier as an independent public company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange as CARR, with its headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Since then the company has narrowed its focus to climate and energy. In 2023 it announced plans to acquire Viessmann Climate Solutions, the heating division of Germany's Viessmann Group, and to divest its commercial refrigeration and most of its fire and security businesses. It sold its LenelS2, Supra and Onity security businesses to Honeywell for about $5 billion and later agreed to sell its industrial fire division.
The Carrier family of brands is wider than many homeowners realize. It includes Bryant, Payne, Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, Day & Night, Carlyle, Toshiba-Carrier, Automated Logic and Viessmann.
The Lineup
What Carrier builds today
Carrier builds residential split systems, ductless systems, rooftop and packaged equipment, chillers, building controls and transport refrigeration. What HVAC365 carries from Carrier falls into two packaged families.
- Packaged heat pumps: self-contained heat pump air conditioners from 2 to 5 tons on R-454B refrigerant, with efficiency ratings in our listings from 13.4 to 15.5 SEER2. Everything lives in one outdoor cabinet, a common choice for slab homes and rooftop installs where there is no room for an indoor air handler. Popular sizes include 2-ton, 3-ton and 4-ton units.
- Water source heat pump package units: 1.5 to 4-ton Carrier units with right return air at 208/230 volts, single phase, made to serve individual zones on a building's water loop in apartments, hotels and offices.
Both families sit within our broader all-in-one self-contained package units category.
The Next Chapter
Packaged equipment on A2L refrigerant
The newer Carrier packaged heat pumps in our catalog use R-454B, a lower global warming potential refrigerant in the A2L, mildly flammable, safety class. Packaged units arrive factory-charged and sealed, which simplifies the change for installers, but service still calls for A2L-rated recovery and leak detection tools and the manufacturer's procedures. R-454B equipment is not mixed with older R-410A components.
At a Glance
Carrier at a glance
- Founded
- June 26, 1915
- Founder
- Willis Carrier, with six engineers
- Headquarters
- Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Stock listing
- NYSE: CARR
- Independent since
- April 2020
- Former parent
- United Technologies, 1979 to 2020
- Sister brands
- Bryant, Payne, Heil, Tempstar, Viessmann
Questions
Frequently asked questions about Carrier
Who invented air conditioning?
Willis Carrier, an engineer at Buffalo Forge, is credited with inventing modern air conditioning in 1902. He co-founded Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915.
Who owns Carrier?
Carrier Global Corporation is an independent public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange as CARR. It was spun off from United Technologies in April 2020.
Where is Carrier headquartered?
Carrier is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Are Bryant and Payne made by Carrier?
Yes. Bryant, Payne, Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker and Day & Night are all brands in the Carrier family.
What refrigerant do the Carrier packaged heat pumps on HVAC365 use?
The Carrier packaged heat pumps in our catalog use R-454B, a lower-GWP A2L refrigerant that requires A2L-rated tools and procedures for service.
