Samsung said on Tuesday that it will form a joint venture with Lennox to expand heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system sales in North America.
The Roanoke, Texas-based Samsung Lennox HVAC North America will be formed in the second half of the year and sell ductless AC and heat pump products in the US and Canada. The South Korean tech giant will own 50.1% of the venture and Lennox 49.9%.
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Under the pair’s agreement, Lennox will sell “Lennox powered by Samsung” branded products at its stores and distributors. The venture will also distribute Samsung’s ductless AC and heat pump products.
The South Korean tech giant noted that while in North America demand for unitary systems was still high as many lived in single houses where installation of ducts was convenient, there was rising demand for systems that combine ductless and unitary due to the expanded supply of apartment complexes and medium-sized buildings in the US and Canada.
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The HVAC systems will also be connected with other Samsung devices through SmartThings, while also offering power consumption tracking through SmartThings Energy, Samsung said.
The company said it will also expand its partnership with North American home builder companies to offer new solutions, besides HVAC systems, home appliances, and TV. The ultimate goal is to offer consumers what it calls an AI life solution in the home by leveraging its “leadership” in AI, software, smartphones, and chips, the South Korean tech giant added.
In recent years, Samsung has been highlighting the combined experience its various consumer devices offer together, especially at home. It wants its various devices as well as household systems from AC to Wi-Fi to work together to offer a “Smart Home” for consumers. Samsung is the world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones and TVs and a major supplier of home appliances.
Last month, the company announced a partnership with Clayton Home Building Group, where it would offer its home appliances in a package to new homes of the construction company. In the same month, it also announced a partnership with US real estate company Flow to install the latter’s 422-unit complex in Miami fitted with its home appliances and IoT sensors, connected through SmartThings, to offer a Smart Home experience for residents.