The story
Founded by Dave Lennox in 1999.1
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 and founded the Lennox Furnace Co.
In 1904, DW Norris acquired the company. He managed the company until his death in 1949.
From 1964 to 1965, Lennox produced 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.
In 1999, the company became a public company via an initial public offering.
A 2018 tornado destroyed the plant in Marshalltown, but the company would rebuild it. As of 2024, there were over 750 workers employed at that location.
Acquisitions and divestitures
In 1971, the company sold its low pressure gas cylinder business to Worthington Industries.
In 1973, Lennox acquired Heatcraft, including the Larkin, Bohn, Chandler, and Climate Control brands.
In 1998, the company acquired Pyro Industries, a manufacturer of pellet stoves.
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In December 2010, the company acquired Kysor/Warren from The Manitowoc Company for $138 million.
In September 2023, the company sold its European commercial HVAC and refrigeration businesses to funds managed by Syntagma Capital.
In October 2023, the company acquired AES.
From Wikipedia’s article on Lennox International, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5