Knowledge/Brands and suppliers/Who owns which air conditioning brand?
Who owns which air conditioning brand?
Ownership has shifted a lot lately. Paloma of Japan now sits above both GENERAL (formerly Fujitsu) and Rheem here. Bosch bought the Johnson Controls and Hitachi joint venture in August 2025. And Carrier bought Toshiba's stake and controls the Toshiba air conditioning brand, not the other way round.
- GENERAL
- Paloma Rheemformerly Fujitsu, Aug 2025
- Hitachi air conditioning
- Boschcompleted 1 Aug 2025
- Toshiba brand
- Carriercompleted 31 Jul 2022
- Actrol and Metalflex
- Reece Groupacquired Jan 2014
Who owns GENERAL and Rheem?
Paloma of Japan now controls both GENERAL air conditioning and Rheem water heating in Australia. Rheem's own material says Paloma has been its ultimate owner (its "ultimate controlling entity") since 2001. Fujitsu General, now GENERAL, was folded into Paloma Rheem Holdings in August 2025.
So one group sits above GENERAL air conditioning, and above Rheem, Vulcan, Solahart, AquaMAX and Everhot too. If you sell both air con and hot water, that's one commercial relationship where you probably thought you had two.
Usually
stated
backwards
Carrier bought out Toshiba, not the other way round
Carrier bought substantially all of Toshiba's stake in Toshiba Carrier Corporation, and the deal completed on 31 July 2022. On 1 May 2024 that company was renamed Carrier Japan Corporation. Toshiba stays on as a product brand.
It's usually written the other way round, as though Toshiba took full control. Carrier controls the Toshiba air conditioning brand.
Who owns Hitachi air conditioning now?
Bosch bought 100 per cent of the Johnson Controls and Hitachi joint venture, including Hitachi's own stake. The deal completed on 1 August 2025. Bosch also holds a long-term licence to use the Hitachi and York brand names.
Temperzone is the exclusive Hitachi distributor for Australia and New Zealand. That's a distribution deal, not ownership. People mix the two up, but they mean different things for supply and support.
Which wholesaler owns its own air con brand?
Reece Group owns both Actrol and Metalflex, bought in January 2014. It also owns the house brands Kaden and Prime. Kaden is built by Midea and sold only through Reece.
So when you buy a house brand off that counter, you're buying from a group that also distributes the brands it's competing against. That's not a criticism. It's just worth knowing which hat the bloke across the counter is wearing.
Are Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries the same?
No. They're completely separate companies. Different Australian companies, different ranges, different dealer arrangements, different fault codes. They share a name and not much else.
Customers mix them up constantly and so do quotes. If you're matching equipment to an existing system, that distinction isn't cosmetic.
Negotiating with a supplier?
Knowing who actually owns the brand, and what else sits in that group, changes what you can reasonably ask for.
That's the conversation Kevin enjoys most.
Who this is for: small and medium HVAC contractors in Victoria. If you're a homeowner after a rebate or a repair, you need a licensed contractor, not us, and yours can point you the right way.
Related
- Braemar: Australian made and imported at the same timeSeeley makes its evaporative coolers and gas ducted heaters in South Australia. Its Braemar refrigerative range is imported, and registrations point to Gree.
- Who actually supplies HVAC equipment in Victoria?Two groups run most of Victorian HVAC supply. Reece Group and Beijer Ref have most of the branches, plus a handful of independents. Here's who carries what.
- The warranty clauses that will actually void the coverWhat the warranty cards actually say about unlicensed installs, opening the case, caravans and boats, moving the unit, and who pays to reach one up high.
- The servicing intervals that are warranty conditionsOne brand needs a service every 12 months on residential and every 3 months on commercial. Another needs a year-four evaporative service it charges for.
Review date: 1 March 2027. Figures in this area change without much notice and this page carries some that will go stale. Every number above is dated and sourced so you can check it yourself. If you find something out of date here, tell us and we will fix it.