Daikin Industries, Ltd. (ダイキン工業株式会社) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Osaka.[5][6]
History
Daikin Industries Ltd was founded in 1924 as Ōsaka Metalworking Industries LP (大阪金属工業所) by Akira Yamada. In 1953, Daiflon or polychlorotrifluoroethylene was developed. In 1963 the company was renamed Daikin Industries, Ltd. (ダイキン工業株式会社) and developed Neoflon. In 1982 it was renamed to the current Daikin Industries Ltd.
Daikin entered the North American air conditioning market in 2004.[7]
In 2006, Daikin Industries acquired McQuay International, a Minneapolis, Minnesota–based global corporation that designs, manufacturers and sells commercial, industrial and institutional heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products.[8] In 2008, McQuay International was rebranded as Daikin-McQuay as Daikin began implementing many of its technologies (including the Daikin Inverter Compressor) and manufacturing processes into McQuay equipment and factories. However, in November 2013, the Daikin-McQuay group was again rebranded as Daikin Applied,[9] ending 80 years of business for the McQuay name in the United States. Meanwhile, the McQuay brand continues to be used in mainland China and Hong Kong.[10] In the filtration realm, Daikin acquired American Air Filter (AAF) in 2007,[11] and Flanders in 2016.[12] The resulting entity is known both as AAF International and AAF Flanders. In 2008, Daikin purchased a 75% share of All World Machinery Supply based in Roscoe, Illinois.[13] In 2009, Daikin Airconditioning Philippines was established.[14]
In August 2012 Daikin agreed to acquire Goodman Global from the San Francisco–based private equity firm Hellman & Friedman for $3.7 billion,[15] after first planning to buy Goodman the previous year. In January 2011, Daikin had announced plans to buy Goodman Global at approximately US$4 billion valuation;[16] however, the plans were delayed for a year by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[17]
The acquisition was expected to expand Daikin's presence in the United States and in duct-type and split-system air-conditioners, and was expected to make Daikin the world's largest maker of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.[18][19]
Later in 2013, they launched a split air conditioner, the Ururu Sarara FTXZ-N.[20]
, Daikin Hydraulics marketed a line of piston pumps, vane pumps, manual pumps, solenoid valves, and flow and control valves, claiming their pump technology to be 50–70 percent more energy efficient than conventional technology.
In 2017, Daikin opened the Daikin Texas Technology Park, its largest plant and the fifth largest factory in the world. Costing $417 million, this 4.1-million-square-foot facility in Waller, Texas, will consolidate Goodman's manufacturing operations.[21][22]
As of 2021, other companies representing additional Daikin brands include Motili and Quietflex.[23]
On March 2, 2023, Daikin announced they had acquired the San Diego–based custom air-handling equipment manufacturer Alliance Air Products.[24]
In 2024, Daikin bought the naming rights to Minute Maid Park, home of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros, renaming it to Daikin Park on January 1, 2025. The deal is expected to run through 2039.[25]
On February 27, 2025, Daikin announced that the company will stop producing white phosphorus shells.[26]
Centennial celebration
On April 28, 2024, Daikin Philippines President Takayoshi Miki hosted Daikin's first fun run, “Daikin: Run for Clean Air 2024” at Bridgetowne with 800 runners.[27] On May 21, 2024, Daikin Industries, led by President & CEO, Masanori Togawa with Chief global group officer and board chair, Noriyuk Inhoue, celebrated its centennial founding with a commemorative ceremony attended by 2,000 at The Symphony Hall to further support its "Forests for the Air" project.[28]
PFAS pollution and lawsuits
In 2005, Daikin and 3M paid $4 million in a US settlement over water contamination with perfluorinated compounds in Decatur, Alabama, the site of several chemical production facilities.[29] In 2017 Daikin agreed to pay $5 million to the West Morgan-East Lawrence authority for an advanced water purification filter. The authority had advised residents not to drink the water in 2016 due to PFAS contamination.[30] In 2021 Daikin, 3M, Toray, BFI Waste Systems, and Synagro paid a $98.5 million settlement with the city of Decatur over PFAS dumping in Morgan County.[31]
A 2004 study by Kyoto University Professor Akio Koizumi identified Daikin as the source of PFOA pollution in the Yodo river.[32][33] In 2020 a Settsu city survey in Osaka found elevated levels of PFAS contamination in groundwater and waterways. One well used to irrigate crops was found to have levels 420 times over the national average. In 2021 blood tests of 9 residents living near Daikin's Yodogawa factory revealed elevated levels of PFAS, the highest in a 69-year old man 70 times the national average.[34] Daikin had suspended production of PFAS-based water repellents in 2012 and stated the risks were “only possibly carcinogenic, like how pickled vegetables are” and that the water in Daikin's wastewater treatment tanks as "clean enough to drink" at a city council meeting. Daikin later issued retractions towards the "clean enough to drink" statement.[35] Production and export of perfluorinated compounds in Japan have been banned since 2021.[36]
Business divisions and products
Daikin is organised into the following divisions, offering the following products:[2][37]
- Air conditioning
- Residential air conditioners
- Residential air purifiers
- Commercial-use air conditioners
- Commercial-use air purifiers
- Humidity-adjusting external air-processing units
- Large-sized chillers
- Marine container refrigeration units
- Marine vessel air conditioners
- Chemicals
- Fluorocarbons
- Fluoroplastics
- Fluoro coatings
- Fluoroelastomers
- Fluorinated oils
- Oil- and water-repellent products
- Mold release agents
- Pharmaceuticals and intermediates
- Semiconductor-etching products
- Dry air suppliers
- Air filtration
- Oil hydraulics
- Industrial hydraulic equipment and systems
- Mobile hydraulic equipment
- Centralized lubrication equipment and systems
- Medical equipment
- Rebreathers and similar equipment
- Home-use oxygen therapy equipment
- Electronics business
- System management of product development process
- Facility design CAD software
- Molecular chemistry software
Daikin Industries, Ltd.
In August 2016, Daikin Industries Ltd opened a fully functional headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Daikin Cairo[38] is yet another move for the company to establish business in Africa. Plans are underway to open more headquarters.
External links
- Wiki collection of bibliographic works on Daikin
References
- Daikin Annual Report 2024^
- Corporate Data retrieved Nov 30, 2018^
- Annual Report 2021 retrieved April 5, 2022^
- Daikin Financial Statements Bloomberg Businessweek, retrieved July 24, 2014^
- Stevenson Reed, Furukawa Yuki. The World's Biggest Air-Conditioning Company Braces for a Hotter Future Bloomberg, 10 March 2022, retrieved 14 May 2023^
- Stevenson Reed, Furukawa Yuki. World's Biggest Air-Conditioner Maker Doubles Down on India Bloomberg, 28 September 2022, retrieved 14 May 2023^
- Daikin AC Takes on North America Contracting Business, 1 February 2006, retrieved 8 April 2014^
- Daikin Industries Acquires O.Y.L., McQuay retrieved 2016-11-30^
- Daikin McQuay Rebrands to Daikin Daikin Applied, November 19, 2013, retrieved November 30, 2016^
- McQuay International Daikin Industries, 12 August 2021^
- Daikin to become leading supplier of air filters with acquisition of Nippon Muki retrieved 2021-07-31^
- Daikin acquires US filter manufacturer Flanders for US$430m Cleanroom Technology, retrieved 31 July 2021^
- Daikin acquired a hydraulic equipment distributor All World Machinery Getting down to solution business in the US end user market with their own base - News Release - Daikin Industries, Ltd. retrieved 2016-08-02^
- Daikin About Us Daikin Philippines, retrieved 2018-06-05^
- Daikin to acquire US rival Goodman Global for $3.7bn BBC News, 29 August 2012, retrieved 29 August 2012^
- Reiji Murai. Japan's Daikin eyes Goodman Global; deal could cost $4 bln Reuters, 14 January 2011, retrieved 18 January 2011^
- Daikin says puts efforts to buy Goodman Global on hold Reuters, 1 April 2011, retrieved 19 December 2011^
- Yoshiyuki Osada. Daikin buys Goodman for $3.8 bln, gains access to North America Reuters, 29 August 2012, retrieved 29 August 2012^
- Dylan Baddour. On outskirts of Houston, giant HVAC plant employs thousands Houston Chronicle, retrieved 7 August 2021^
- FTXZ-N Daikin, retrieved 8 June 2025^
- Peek inside Daikin's new $417 million manufacturing hub Houston Business Journal, 24 May 2017, retrieved 26 July 2018^
- Neil Everitt. Daikin officially opens US plant Cooling Post, 25 May 2017, retrieved 26 July 2018^
- Our Brands Daikin, retrieved 25 June 2023^
- Daikin Applied Acquires Custom Air-Handler Manufacturer Alliance Air Products Daikin Applied, 2 March 2023, retrieved 25 June 2023^
- Astros' home to be Daikin Park; deal through '39 ESPN, 18 November 2024, retrieved 18 November 2024^
- Kentaro Tsutsumi. Daikin to stop making white phosphorus shells under investor pressure Nikkei Asia, 27 February 2025, retrieved 1 March 2025^
- Daikin's centennial celebration: A milestone fun run with a purpose The Philippine Star, 14 May 2024, retrieved 22 May 2024^
- Neil Everitt. Daikin celebrates 100 years Cooling Post, 21 May 2024, retrieved 22 May 2024^
- Despite paying for water purification system in U.S., in Japan Daikin refuses to clean up PFAS pollution (14) Tokyo Investigative Newsroom, 2022-03-10, retrieved 2024-11-26^
- West Morgan-East Lawrence water authority receives $5 million lawsuit settlement from Daikin 2017-05-17^
- 3M signs nearly $100 million settlement with Decatur, Morgan County and Decatur Utilities WAFF 48, 2021-10-19, retrieved 2024-11-26^
- N. Saito, K. Harada, K. Inoue, K. Sasaki, T. Yoshinaga, A. Koizumi. Perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate concentrations in surface water in Japan Chemical & Engineering News, 2004^
- Despite paying for water purification system in U.S., in Japan Daikin refuses to clean up PFAS pollution (14) Tokyo Investigative Newsroom, 2022-03-10, retrieved 2024-11-26^
- 追跡"PFAS汚染" 暮らしに迫る化学物質 Close-up Gendai, NHK, 10 April 2023, retrieved 17 December 2024^
- Daikin dismissed scientific findings, local fears over PFOA pollution in meeting with Settsu City Council members (12) Tokyo Investigative Newsroom, 2022-02-28, retrieved 2024-11-26^
- 幸田泉. 大阪のPFAS汚染で「1000人血液検査」の中間発表. 汚染の広がりが明らかに Yahoo News Japan, 10 April 2024, retrieved 17 December 2024^
- Annual Report 2013 retrieved July 24, 2014^
- High-Quality Air Conditioning Solutions Daikin AC MEA, retrieved 23 January 2017^