Kelvinator

Kelvinator is a brand name for refrigerator and freezer products in several nations. It was a major manufacturer of home appliances and commercial freezers in the United States, and its line of refrigerators was the company's namesake. The name is from William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, who developed the concept of absolute zero, for whom the Kelvin temperature scale is named. The name was thought to be appropriate for a company that manufactured ice-boxes and refrigerators.

The company has undergone changes in ownership over the years, and its brand name has been licensed or sold in several countries. In the United States, Kelvinator Commercial, which produces and services food service refrigerators and freezer products for commercial applications, is part of the Electrolux Professional Group.[1]

History

The enterprise was established on September 18, 1914, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, by engineer Nathaniel B. Wales, who introduced his idea for a practical electric refrigeration unit for the home to Edmund Copeland and Arnold Goss.[2]

Legacy

In North America, Electrolux continues to sell (under the Kelvinator Commercial brand) a range of commercial refrigeration equipment.[24]

The Kelvinator brand is used in Argentina for a wide variety of appliances marketed by Radio Victoria Fueguina in Tierra del Fuego.[25] The factory is in this province.[26]

In the Philippines, the Kelvinator brand was licensed in 1977 to Concepcion Industries (now Concepcion Industrial Corporation). The firm continues to sell major appliances under this brand.[27]

In Australia, Kelvinator Australia Ltd was formed in 1934, and manufactured and distributed products under licence from several US companies, including Kelvinator. The managing director was William Queale, while his father-in-law, F.H. Griffiths, was a co-director.[28] In 1964, Kelvinator manufactured the largest self-service refrigeration system in an Australian supermarket (at the time) for the Forest Hills Safeway.[29][30] In 1980, Kelvinator Australia became part of the Australian-owned Email Limited group of companies, whose appliance division was subsequently sold to the Swedish-owned Electrolux Group in 2001.[31] Refrigerators and air conditioners continue to be sold under the Kelvinator brand by the Electrolux Group.[32]

As late as 2014, residents of Robeson County, North Carolina, used "Kelvinator" to generically refer to refrigerators, due to the former presence of a Kelvinator factory in their county.[33]

In India, the Kelvinator brand was revived in 2019, when the retail arm of Reliance Retail signed a licensing, manufacturing, marketing and distribution deal with Electrolux.[34] They marketed a range of appliances and major appliances under the Kelvinator brand.[35] In 2025, Reliance Retail bought the Kelvinator brand in India from Sweden's Electrolux to strengthen its position in the consumer durables marketplace. The terms of the sale were not disclosed, but an Electrolux reported a gain of 180 million Swedish crowns (US$18.5 million) from these of the brand in India.[36]

type	Division
foundation	1914
industry	Major appliances
owner	• Australia: Electrolux • Argentina: Radio Victoria Fueguina • India: Reliance Retail • Philippines: Concepcion Industrial • U.S.: Electrolux Professional - commercial refrigeration for food service applications

History

British operations

Merger with Nash Motors

World War II

Integration into American Motors

Ownership

Legacy

References