2009 - present: Focus on Water Technology


2009 

 

A. O. Smith enters the water purification industry with a new venture: A. O. Smith (Shanghai) Water Treatment Products Co. Ltd. The new company supplies reverse osmosis water treatment  and water filtration products to the China residential and commercial markets, as well as export markets throughout the world.

   

2010 

 

A. O. Smith opens a 76,000 ft2 residential water heater manufacturing plant in Bengaluru, India. The Company acquires Takagi Industrial’s North American operations as part of a joint venture to market and manufacture tankless water heaters in North America.

   

2011

 

A. O. Smith embarks on strategy to become a leading global water technology company. The Company sells its electric motor business to Regal Beloit Corp. and acquires Lochinvar Corp., a Lebanon, Tennessee-based manufacturer of high efficiency condensing residential and commercial boilers for hot water and hydronic heating applications.

   

2013

 

As a founding partner, A. O. Smith joins The Water Council in opening its Global Water Center, a physical cornerstone from which to accelerate Milwaukee as the world’s leading water technology hub.

   

2016

 

A. O. Smith enters the North American water treatment market with the acquisition of Aquasana, an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of  reverse osmosis, countertop, under-the-counter and on-the-go water filtration products.

   

2017

 

A. O. Smith expands its North American water treatment presence with the acquisition of Groveport, Ohio-based Hague Quality Water, a manufacturer of a comprehensive line of water softener products sold through retail and dealer channels.

The Company is named to the S&P 500 Index.

   

2018

 

A. O. Smith unveils its new L. R. Smith Corporate Technology Center in Milwaukee, supporting advanced research and development in potable and hydronic water heating, water treatment and air purification. The Company reestablishes itself as a retail brand, as the leading water heating and treating product line in 2,200 Lowe’s home improvement stores.

   

2019

 

A. O. Smith acquires Appleton, Wisconsin-based Water-Right, Inc., a water quality solutions provider with a complete line of residential and commercial products and systems for a series of applications. 

A decade after launching its strategy to become a leading global water technology company, A. O. Smith is ranked 11 in Harvard Business Review’s “Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade.”

   

2021

 

A. O. Smith issues a public commitment to reducing its global greenhouse gas emissions 10% by 2025.

The Company continues to grow its North American business in water heating, through acquisition of Montreal, Quebec-based Giant Factories, Inc., and in water treatment, by purchasing Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based Master Water Conditioning Corp.