Carrier to expand UAE operations

Dubai: Carrier Corporation, which provides heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) systems, plans to expand its portfolio of cooling products and foray into new sectors such as district cooling in the region, said Aftab M Khan, Carrier's managing director for the Middle East, in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.

As countries such as the UAE place significant thrust on energy efficiency, there is a growing demand for energy efficient solutions in cooling and refrigeration that will minimise impact on natural resources. To meet this need, Carrier plans to expand its offerings in the UAE with a suite of products that are energy efficient and environmental sustainable, said Khan.

A subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, which is listed on NYSE Euronext, Carrier provides HVACR systems, components, controls and services for residential, commercial, industrial, transportation applications; and food service equipment. According to 2007 Fortune magazine list, it is the 42nd largest US corporation and the 60th largest publicly held manufacturer in the world according to Industry Week's 2007 list.

Wide range

Khan said Carrier has the widest range of products in the Middle East that straddle both segments - business-to-business and business-to-consumers - and is well positioned to meet the region's and the UAE's growing demand in cooling. In addition, Carrier also has the region's largest services and parts offering that support its products.

A typical trend in the UAE is that of developments moving from single-tower projects to communities or "neighbourhood developments". This trend is pushing up demand for HVAC equipment. Market needs are aligned towards large chillers and cooling equipment that conserve energy.

In order to meet this demand, Carrier is planning to bring in its global product range that uses non-ozone depleting refrigerants. One such product already being marketed by Carrier is the Aquaforce 30XA, which is one of the many, bigger, environmental friendly and energy efficient machines that Carrier will launch in 2009 as part of its expansion.

"Carrier is well positioned to cater to this demand, and now, we plan to work with developers from the beginning of the construction process, as opposed to earlier arrangements where we come in last, in order to install our systems more efficiently," Khan said.

Carrier has manufacturing facilities in 78 countries with a network of research and development centres. In the Middle East, Carrier owns and operates Saudi Arabian Manufacturing Company facility.

Currently, the Middle East has a production capacity of approximately 500,000 window AC units and 300,000 units for commercial systems.

The founder

Willis Haviland Carrier, who invented the modern air conditioner, was born in Angola, New York, in 1876. In 1895 he joined Cornell University on scholarship and graduated in 1901 with a mechanical engineering degree.

In 1902 he invented air conditioning and started a company bearing his name, which became the largest air conditioning producer in the world. The company was acquired by United Technologies Corporation in July 1979.

Milestones

1902: Willis Carrier invents the world's first mechanical air conditioner

1906: US patent issued for "Apparatus for Treating Air"

1915: Carrier Engineering Corp is founded in New York.

1922: Carrier develops a new coolant and a centrifugal refrigerating machine that enables the cooling of public spaces, changing the face of urban architecture.

1939: Carrier invents a system for air conditioning skyscrapers.

1965: Carrier installs ground-based environmental control systems for the Apollo-Saturn V moon programme.

1979: UTC acquires Carrier.

1986: Carrier establishes first of several joint ventures in China.

1996: Carrier introduces its first product line of high efficiency residential air conditioners and heat pumps using the environmentally sound, non-ozone-depleting Puron refrigerant.

2006: Carrier pushes the performance of some Infinity models to 21 Seer (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), saving consumers more than half the energy some previous products required.