AAON Inc.
TypePublic
IndustryHeating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Founded1988 (1988)
HeadquartersTulsa, Oklahoma
Number of employees
4,000
Websiteaaon.com

AAON Inc. (Nasdaq: AAON) AAON, Inc. manufactures heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment for commercial and industrial indoor environments. AAON is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma and has manufacturing facilities in Longview, TX, Parkville, MO, and Redmond, OR. AAON employs approximately 4000 people across four US-based locations and has annual sales in excess of $880 million.

History

AAON was founded in 1988 when Norman H. Asbjornson set out to create a commercial HVAC company that designed and manufactured semi-custom equipment that would excel in performance relative to the market.[1] Asbjornson purchased the heating and air-conditioning division of John Zink and created a new company called AAON. The name ensured the company would be listed first in the phone directories.[2]

In 1991, AAON acquired Coils Plus in Longview, TX, initially only committed to manufacturing HVAC coils.[3] In 2000, AAON began to manufacture equipment in Longview and in 2019, broke ground on a facility expansion as part of a $28-million-dollar investment in the plant.[4] Further expansion in Longview commenced in 2019 with the completion of a 220,000-square foot building, an additional $40 million investment.[5] In 2023, a second $40 million expansion was approved by the Longview Economic Development Corp. and scheduled to be completed in 2024.[6]

In 2018 AAON acquired Missouri-based WattMaster Controls (WCI) and entered a lease of the facility that was previously occupied by WCI. The WattMaster acquisition allowed AAON to begin producing their own proprietary controls systems.[7]

In 2021, AAON acquired Oregon-based BASX Solutions (BASX). BASX designs and manufactures premium, highly customized commercial HVAC equipment for data centers, clean rooms, and other niche applications.

Innovation

Since its inception, AAON has differentiated itself by leading the commercial HVAC industry in innovation. Over the years, AAON has acquired numerous patents in the pursuit of innovative equipment design. Some of these AAON patents include:[8]

  • A low-cost damper that provides a good seal with low torque requirements. Patent: 2016[8]
  • Plenum fan banding that effectively changes the width of the fan blades in a plenum fan for a HVAC unit. Patent: 2005[8]
  • A door handle system for a door employing a plurality of door handles that operate in unison. Patent: 2004[8]
  • An evaporative condensing air conditioning system employing a de-superheater and mist eliminator located between the air fan on an evaporative cooler and spray tree that delivers water 20 as a coolant on the exterior surfaces of a condenser coil. Patent 2004[8]
  • An S-Shaped heat exchange tube with improved heat exchange efficiency. Patent 1998[8]
  • A method and device for concurrently transferring sensible heat from the warmer of either an incoming outside airstream or an outgoing exhaust airstream to the other stream and transferring latent heat from the wetter of either the incoming outside airstream or the outgoing exhaust airstream to the other stream prior to the incoming airstream entering a standard heating and air conditioning unit. Patent: 1998[8]

AAON was recognized for their innovation by the National Society of Professional Engineers’ Professional Engineers in Industry (NSPE-PEI) at its annual meeting in 2011. AAON RQ Series was one of three products recognized that year for the “innovative use of engineering principles and materials”. AAON RQ Series is a high efficiency rooftop unit available as air-cooled or water-cooled packaged rooftop unit; chilled water or non-compressorized air handler; or air, water, or geothermal source heat pump.[9]

Evolving From Niche to Mainstream

AAON centers its design and manufacturing strategy around semi-custom units, capitalizing on the demand for highly configurable products at a reasonable price point. Most commercial HVAC manufacturers are either standard serialized manufacturers or completely custom units.[1]

Today, the demand for premium quality, performance, and high-efficiency equipment is increasingly mainstream. Periodically increased minimum energy efficiency standards set by the Department of Energy are accelerating the need for commercial HVAC units to meet higher metrics of equipment efficiency.[10]

Coronavirus Response

AAON was among those on the front lines combatting the Covid-19 virus. AAON worked around the clock to design and provide HVAC equipment for temporary hospitals in New York City that required 2,200 tons of air conditioning with HEPA filtration. At the same time, AAON provided equipment to a temporary medical facility at the New York College at Old Westbury, along with other similar facilities in Cranston, Rhode Island; and Denver, Colorado. AAON also designed custom UV light cabinets for a hospital in Springfield, Missouri to utilize for disinfection.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Davis, Kirby Lee (2010-02-27). "Executive Session: Norman Asbjornson | The Journal Record". Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  2. ↑ "History of AAON, Inc. – FundingUniverse". www.fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  3. ↑ Reporter, Ken Hedler khedler@news-journal com (2016-10-02). "Aaon builds A/C units to order for customers". Longview News-Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  4. ↑ "AAON Breaks Ground on New Facility in Longview | 2019-08-19 | ACHR News". www.achrnews.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  5. ↑ jferguson@news-journal.com, Jo Lee Ferguson (2023-03-24). "Aaon takes step toward more expansion of Longview facility". Longview News-Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  6. ↑ jferguson@news-journal.com, Jo Lee Ferguson (2023-04-29). "Business Beat: AAON to double previous expansion". Longview News-Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  7. ↑ "AAON Announces Acquisition". GlobeNewswire News Room. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Patents Assigned to AAON, Inc. - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  9. ↑ "Improved Materials and Energy Savings Highlight Best New Products | National Society of Professional Engineers". www.nspe.org. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  10. ↑ "Prepare Now for 2023 Energy Efficiency Standards | ACHR News". www.achrnews.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  11. ↑ "Manufacturer Cleans Medical Facilities' Air During COVID-19". NAM. 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
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