Item 1. Business
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Item 1. Business
References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “we,” “our,” “us,” “LII” or the “Company” refer to Lennox International Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.
The Company
We are a leading global provider of climate control solutions. We design, manufacture and market a broad range of products for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (“HVACR”) markets. We have leveraged our expertise to become an industry leader known for innovation, quality and reliability. Our products and services are sold through multiple distribution channels under various brand names. The Company was founded in 1895, in Marshalltown, Iowa, by Dave Lennox, the owner of a machine repair business for railroads. He designed and patented a riveted steel coal-fired furnace, which led to numerous advancements in heating, cooling and climate control solutions.
Shown in the table below are our three business segments, the key products, services and well-known product and brand names within each segment and net sales in 2019 by segment. Segment financial data for 2019, 2018 and 2017, including financial information about foreign and domestic operations, is included in Note 3 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is incorporated herein by reference.
| Segment | Products & Services | Product and Brand Names | 2019 Net Sales (in millions) | |||||
| Residential Heating & Cooling | Furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, packaged heating and cooling systems, indoor air quality equipment, comfort control products, replacement parts and supplies | Lennox, Dave Lennox Signature Collection, Armstrong Air, Ducane, Air-Ease, Concord, Magic-Pak, ADP Advanced Distributor Products, Allied, Healthy Climate, Elite Series, Merit Series, Comfort Sync, iComfort and Lennox Stores | $ | 2,291.1 | ||||
| Commercial Heating & Cooling | Unitary heating and air conditioning equipment, applied systems, controls, installation and service of commercial heating and cooling equipment, variable refrigerant flow commercial products | Lennox, Allied Commercial, Magic-Pak, Raider, Landmark, Prodigy, Strategos, Energence, Lennox VRF and Lennox National Account Services | 947.4 | |||||
| Refrigeration | Condensing units, unit coolers, fluid coolers, air cooled condensers, air handlers, process chillers, controls, compressorized racks. | Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration, Lennox (Europe HVAC), Bohn, Larkin, Climate Control, Chandler Refrigeration, Friga-Bohn, HK Refrigeration, Hyfra and Interlink | 568.7 | |||||
| Total | $ | 3,807.2 |
Products and Services
Residential Heating & Cooling
Heating & Cooling Products. We manufacture and market a broad range of furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, packaged heating and cooling systems, equipment and accessories to improve indoor air quality, comfort control products, replacement parts and supplies and related products for both the residential replacement and new construction markets in North America. These products are available in a variety of designs and efficiency levels and at a range of price points, and are intended to provide a complete line of home comfort systems. We believe that by maintaining a broad product line marketed under multiple brand names, we can address different market segments and penetrate multiple distribution channels.
The “Lennox” brands are sold directly to a network of approximately 7,000 independent installing dealers, making us one of the largest wholesale distributors of residential heating and air conditioning products in North America. The Allied Air Enterprise brands (“Armstrong Air,” “Air-Ease,” “Concord,” “Ducane,” and “Magic-Pak”) include a full line of heating and air conditioning products and are sold through independent distributors in North America.
We continue to invest in our network of 221 Lennox Stores across the United States and Canada. These stores provide an easy access solution for contractors and independent dealers to obtain universal service and replacement parts, supplies, convenience items, tools, Lennox equipment and OEM parts.
Our Advanced Distributor Products (“ADP”) operation builds evaporator coils and air handlers under the “ADP Advanced Distributor Products” brand and also builds evaporator coils under the “Lennox” brand and Allied Air Enterprise brands. ADP sells ADP-branded evaporator coils to over 450 HVAC wholesale distributors across North America.
Commercial Heating & Cooling
North America. In North America, we manufacture and sell unitary heating and cooling equipment used in light commercial applications, such as low-rise office buildings, restaurants, retail centers, churches and schools. Our product offerings for these applications include rooftop units ranging from 2 to 50 tons of cooling capacity and split system/air handler combinations, which range from 1.5 to 20 tons of cooling capacity. These products are distributed primarily through commercial contractors and directly to national account customers. In 2014, we launched Lennox-branded variable refrigerant flow (“VRF”) commercial products through Lennox company-owned distribution. We believe the success of our products is attributable to their efficiency, design flexibility, total cost of ownership, low life-cycle cost, ease of service and advanced control technology.
National Account Services. National Account Service (“NAS”) provides installation, service and preventive maintenance for commercial HVAC national account customers in the United States and Canada.
Refrigeration
We manufacture and market equipment for the global commercial refrigeration markets under the Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration name. We sell these products to distributors, installing contractors, engineering design firms, original equipment manufacturers and end-users. Our global manufacturing, distribution, sales and marketing footprint serves customers in over 113 countries worldwide.
North America. Our commercial refrigeration products for the North American market include condensing units, unit coolers, fluid coolers, air-cooled condensers, air handlers and refrigeration rack systems. These products preserve food and other perishables in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, warehouses and distribution centers. In addition, our products are used to cool a wide variety of industrial processes, including data centers, machine tooling, and other critical cooling applications. We routinely provide application engineering for consulting engineers, contractors, store planners, end customers and others to support the sale of commercial refrigeration products. In the first quarter of 2019, we completed the sale of our Kysor Warren business.
International. In Europe, we manufacture and sell unitary HVAC products, which range from 2 to 70 tons of cooling capacity, and applied systems with up to 200 tons of cooling capacity. Our European products consist of small package units, rooftop units, chillers, air handlers and fan coils that serve medium-rise commercial buildings, shopping malls, other retail and entertainment buildings, institutional applications and other field-engineered applications. We manufacture heating and cooling products in several locations in Europe and market these products through both direct and indirect distribution channels in Europe, Russia, Turkey and the Middle East.
We also manufacture and market refrigeration products including condensing units, unit coolers, air-cooled condensers, fluid coolers, compressor racks and industrial process chillers. We have manufacturing locations in Germany, France and Spain. In addition, we own a 50% common stock interest in a joint venture in Mexico that produces unit coolers, air-cooled condensers, condensing units, compressors and compressorized racks of the same design and quality as those manufactured by our U.S. business. This joint venture product line is complemented with imports from the U.S., which are sold through the joint venture’s distribution network.
Business Strategy
Our business strategy is to sustain and expand our premium market position by offering a full spectrum of products to meet our customers’ needs. We plan to expand our market position through organic growth while maintaining our focus on cost reductions to drive margin expansion and support growth in target business segments. This strategy is supported by the following four strategic priorities:
Innovative Product and System Solutions. In all of our markets, we are building on our heritage of innovation by developing residential, commercial and refrigeration products that give families and business owners more precise control over more aspects of their indoor environments, while significantly lowering their energy costs.
Manufacturing and Sourcing Excellence. We maintain our commitment to manufacturing and sourcing excellence by maximizing factory efficiencies and leveraging our purchasing power and sourcing initiatives to expand the use of lower-cost components that meet our high-quality requirements.
Distribution Excellence. By investing resources in expanding our distribution network, we are making products available to our customers in a timely, cost-efficient manner. Additionally, we provide enhanced dealer support through the use of technology, training, advertising and merchandising.
Expense Reduction. Through our cost management initiatives, we are optimizing operating, manufacturing and administrative costs.
Marketing and Distribution
We utilize multiple channels of distribution and offer different brands at various price points in order to better penetrate the HVACR markets. Our products and services are sold through a combination of direct sales, distributors and company-owned parts and supplies stores. Dedicated sales forces and manufacturers’ representatives are deployed across our business segments and brands in a manner designed to maximize our ability to service each distribution channel. To optimize enterprise-wide effectiveness, we have active cross-functional and cross-organizational teams coordinating approaches to pricing, product design, distribution and national account customers.
The North American residential heating and cooling market provides an example of the competitive strength of our marketing and distribution strategy. We use three distinct distribution approaches in this market: the company-owned distribution system, the independent distribution system and direct sales to end-users. We distribute our “Lennox” brands in a company-owned process directly to independent dealers that install these heating and cooling products. We distribute our “Armstrong Air,” “Ducane,” “Air-Ease,” “Concord,” “Magic-Pak” and “ADP Advanced Distributor Products” brands through the traditional independent distribution process pursuant to which we sell our products to distributors who, in turn, sell the products to installing contractors. We also sell our products directly to customers through our Lennox Stores.
Manufacturing
We operate manufacturing facilities worldwide and utilize the best available manufacturing techniques based on the needs of our businesses, including the use of lean manufacturing and principles of Six Sigma, a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for improving quality. We use numerous metrics to track and manage annual efficiency improvements. Some facilities are impacted by seasonal production demand, and we manufacture both heating and cooling products in those facilities to balance production and maintain a relatively stable labor force. We may also hire temporary employees to meet changes in demand.
Strategic Sourcing
We rely on various suppliers to furnish the raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of our products. To maximize our buying effectiveness in the marketplace, we have a central strategic sourcing group that consolidates purchases of certain materials, components and indirect items across business segments. The goal of the strategic sourcing group is to develop global strategies for a given component group, concentrate purchases with three to five suppliers and develop long-term relationships with these vendors. By developing these strategies and relationships, we seek to leverage our material needs to reduce costs and improve financial and operating performance. Our strategic sourcing group also works with selected suppliers to reduce costs, improve quality and delivery performance by employing lean manufacturing and Six Sigma.
Compressors, motors and controls constitute our most significant component purchases, while steel, copper and aluminum account for the bulk of our raw material purchases. We own a minority equity interest in a joint venture that manufactures compressors. This joint venture provides us with compressors for our residential and commercial heating and cooling and refrigeration businesses.
Research and Development and Technology
Research and development is a key pillar of our growth strategy. We operate a global engineering and technology organization that focuses on new technology invention, product development, product quality improvements and process enhancements, including our development of next-generation control systems as well as heating and cooling products that include some of the most efficient products in their respective categories. We leverage intellectual property and innovative designs across our
businesses. We also leverage product development cycle time improvements and product data management systems to commercialize new products to market more rapidly. We use advanced, commercially available computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, computational fluid dynamics and other sophisticated design tools to streamline the design and manufacturing processes. We use complex computer simulations and analyses in the conceptual design phase before functional prototypes are created. We also operate a full line of prototype machine equipment and advanced laboratories certified by applicable industry associations.
Seasonality
Our sales and related segment profit tend to be seasonally higher in the second and third quarters of the year because summer is the peak season for sales of air conditioning equipment and services in the U.S. and Canada. For the same reason, our working capital needs are generally greater in the first and second quarters, and we generally have higher operating cash inflows in the third and fourth quarters.
HVAC markets are driven by seasonal weather patterns. HVAC products and services are sold year round, but the volume and mix of product sales and service change significantly by season. The industry generally ships roughly twice as many units during June as it does in December. Overall, cooling equipment represents a substantial portion of the annual HVAC market. Between the heating season (roughly November through February) and cooling season (roughly May through August) are periods commonly referred to as “shoulder seasons” when the distribution channel transitions its buying patterns from one season to the next. These seasonal fluctuations in mix and volume drive our sales and related segment profit, resulting in somewhat higher sales in the second and third quarters due to the higher volume in the cooling season relative to the heating season.
Patents and Trademarks
We hold numerous patents that relate to the design and use of our products. We consider these patents important, but no single patent is material to the overall conduct of our business. We proactively obtain patents to further our strategic intellectual property objectives. We own or license several trademarks and service marks we consider important in the marketing of our products and services, and we protect our marks through national registrations and common law rights.
Competition
Substantially all markets in which we participate are competitive. The most significant competitive factors we face are product reliability, product performance, service and price, with the relative importance of these factors varying among our businesses. The following are some of the companies we view as significant competitors in each of our three business segments, with relevant brand names, when different from the company name, shown in parentheses. The marks below may be the registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.
| • | Residential Heating & Cooling -United Technologies Corp. (Carrier, Bryant, Payne, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, Heil, Arcoaire, KeepRite, Day & Night); Ingersoll-Rand plc (Trane, American Standard, Ameristar); Paloma Industries, Inc. (Rheem, Ruud, Weather King); Johnson Controls, Inc. (York, Luxaire, Coleman); Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Daikin, Goodman, Amana, GMC); and Melrose Industries PLC (Maytag, Westinghouse, Frigidaire, Tappan, Philco, Kelvinator, Gibson, Broan, NuTone). |
| • | Commercial Heating & Cooling - United Technologies Corp. (Carrier, ICP Commercial); Ingersoll-Rand plc (Trane); Paloma Industries, Inc. (Rheem, Ruud); Johnson Controls, Inc. (York); Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Goodman, McQuay); Melrose Industries PLC (Mammoth); and AAON, Inc. |
| • | Refrigeration - Hussmann Corporation; Paloma Industries, Inc. (Rheem Manufacturing Company (Heat Transfer Products Group)); Emerson Electric Co. (Copeland); United Technologies Corp. (Carrier); GEA Group (Kuba, Searle, Goedhart); Alfa Laval; Guntner GmbH; and Panasonic Corp. (Sanyo). |
Employees
As of December 31, 2019, we employed approximately 11,200 employees. Approximately 4,700 of these employees were salaried and 6,500 were hourly. The number of hourly workers we employ may vary in order to match our labor needs during periods of fluctuating demand. Approximately 3,000 employees, including international locations, are represented by unions. We believe we have good relationships with our employees and with the unions representing our employees. We currently do not anticipate any material adverse consequences resulting from negotiations to renew any collective bargaining agreements.
Environmental Regulation
Our operations are subject to evolving and often increasingly stringent international, federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning the environment. Environmental laws that affect or could affect our domestic operations include, among others, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, as amended (“NAECA”), the Energy Policy Act ("EPAct"), the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ("EPCA"), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"), the Toxic Substances Control Act, any regulations promulgated under these acts and various other international, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing environmental matters. We believe we are in substantial compliance with such existing environmental laws and regulations.
Energy Efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy has numerous active energy conservation rulemakings that impact residential and commercial heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. We are actively involved in U.S. Department of Energy and Congressional activities related to energy efficiency. We are prepared to have compliant products in place in advance of the effective dates of all such regulations being considered by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Refrigerants. The use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (“HCFCs”) and hydroflurocarbons (“HFCs”) as refrigerants for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment is common practice in the HVACR industry and is regulated. We believe we have complied with applicable rules and regulations in various countries governing the use of HCFCs and HFCs. The U.S. Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency are considering steps to phase down the future use of HFCs in HVACR products and an international accord was adopted in October 2016 which would significantly phase-down the use of HFCs when ratified by the United Sates and globally. We are an active participant in the ongoing international and domestic dialogue on this subject and are well positioned to react in a timely manner to changes in the regulatory landscape. In addition, we are taking proactive steps to implement responsible use principles and guidelines with respect to limiting refrigerants from escaping into the atmosphere throughout the life span of our HVACR equipment.
Remediation Activity. In addition to affecting our ongoing operations, applicable environmental laws can impose obligations to remediate hazardous substances at our properties, at properties formerly owned or operated by us and at facilities to which we have sent or send waste for treatment or disposal. We are aware of contamination at some of our facilities; however, based on facts presently known, we do not believe that any future remediation costs at such facilities will be material to our results of operations. For more information, see Note 5 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In the past, we have received notices that we are a potentially responsible party along with other potentially responsible parties in Superfund proceedings under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act for cleanup of hazardous substances at certain sites to which the potentially responsible parties are alleged to have sent waste. Based on the facts presently known, we do not believe environmental cleanup costs associated with any Superfund sites about which we have received notice that we are a potentially responsible party will be material.
European WEEE and RoHS Compliance. In the European marketplace, electrical and electronic equipment is required to comply with the Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (“WEEE”) and the Directive on Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (“RoHS”). WEEE aims to prevent waste by encouraging reuse and recycling and RoHS restricts the use of six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products. All HVACR products and certain components of such products “put on the market” in the EU (whether or not manufactured in the EU) are potentially subject to WEEE and RoHS. Because all HVACR manufacturers selling within or from the EU are subject to the standards promulgated under WEEE and RoHS, we believe that neither WEEE nor RoHS uniquely impacts us as compared to such other manufacturers. Similar directives are being introduced in other parts of the world, including the U.S. For example, California, China and Japan have all adopted standards possessing similar intent as RoHS. We are actively monitoring the development of such directives and believe we are well positioned to comply with such directives in the required time frames.
Available Information
Our web site address is www.lennoxinternational.com. We make available, free of charge through our web site, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, including exhibits, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably possible after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. The information on our web site is not a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including Lennox International, that file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Information about our Executive Officers
Our executive officers, their present positions and their ages are as follows as of February 7, 2020:
| Name | Age | Position |
| Todd M. Bluedorn | 56 | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer |
| Joseph W. Reitmeier | 55 | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
| Douglas L. Young | 57 | Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer, Residential Heating & Cooling |
| Gary S. Bedard | 55 | Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer, Worldwide Refrigeration |
| Prakash Bedapudi | 53 | Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer |
| Daniel M. Sessa | 55 | Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer |
| John D. Torres | 61 | Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary |
| Elliot Zimmer | 43 | Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer, North America Commercial Heating & Cooling |
| Chris A. Kosel | 53 | Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller |
Todd M. Bluedorn was appointed Chief Executive Officer and was elected to our Board of Directors in April 2007. Mr. Bluedorn was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in May 2012. Prior to joining Lennox International, Mr. Bluedorn served in numerous senior management positions for United Technologies since 1995, including President, Americas - Otis Elevator Company; President, North America - Commercial Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning for Carrier Corporation; and President, Hamilton Sundstrand Industrial. He began his professional career with McKinsey & Company in 1992. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, Mr. Bluedorn served in the United States Army as a combat engineer officer and United States Army Ranger from 1985 to 1990. He received his MBA from Harvard University School of Business in 1992. Mr. Bluedorn also serves on the Board of Directors of Eaton Corporation, a diversified industrial manufacturer, on the Board of Directors of Texas Instruments Incorporated, a global designer and manufacturer of semiconductors, and on the Board of Trustees of Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Bluedorn possesses considerable industry knowledge and executive leadership experience. Mr. Bluedorn’s extensive knowledge of our Company and its business, combined with his drive for excellence and innovation, position him well to serve as CEO and a director of our Company.
Joseph W. Reitmeier was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer in July 2012. He had served as Vice President of Finance for the Company’s Commercial Heating & Cooling segment since 2007 and as Director of Internal Audit from 2005 to 2007. Before joining the Company, he held financial leadership roles at Cummins Inc. and PolyOne Corporation. He is a director of Watts Water Technologies, Inc., a global provider of plumbing, heating and water quality solutions for residential, industrial, municipal and commercial settings. Mr. Reitmeier holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Akron and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Douglas L. Young was appointed Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company’s Residential Heating & Cooling segment in October 2006. Mr. Young had previously served as Vice President and General Manager of North American Residential Products since 2003 and as Vice President and General Manager of Lennox North American Residential Sales, Marketing, and Distribution from 1999 to 2003. Prior to his career with the Company, Mr. Young was employed in the Appliances division of GE, where he held various management positions before serving as General Manager of Marketing for GE Appliance division’s retail group from 1997 to 1999 and as General Manager of Strategic Initiatives in 1999. He holds a BSBA from Creighton University and a master’s of science in management from Purdue University. Mr. Young serves on the Board of Directors of Beacon Roofing Supply, a general building material distributor and is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of AHRI (the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute), the trade association for the HVACR and water heating equipment industries.
Gary S. Bedard was appointed Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company’s Worldwide Refrigeration business in October 2017. From 2005 through 2017, Mr. Bedard served as Vice President and General Manager for the Company’s Lennox-branded Residential business. He has also held the positions of Vice President, Residential Sales, Vice President Residential Product Management, Director of Brand and Product Management, and District Manager for Lennox Industries’ New York District. Prior to joining the Company in 1998, Mr. Bedard spent eight years at York International in product management and sales leadership roles for commercial applied and unitary systems as well as residential systems. Mr. Bedard has a bachelor’s degree in engineering management from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Prakash Bedapudi was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer in July 2008. He had previously served as Vice President, Global Engineering and Program Management for Trane Inc. Commercial Systems from 2006 through 2008, and as Vice President, Engineering and Technology for Trane’s Residential Systems division from 2003 through 2006. Prior to his career at Trane, Mr. Bedapudi served in senior engineering leadership positions for GE Transportation Systems, a division of General Electric Company, and for Cummins Engine Company. He holds a bachelor of science in mechanical/automotive engineering from Karnataka University, India and a master’s of science in mechanical/aeronautical engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
Daniel M. Sessa was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer in June 2007. He had previously served in numerous senior human resources and legal leadership positions for United Technologies Corporation since 1996, including Vice President, Human Resources for Otis Elevator Company - Americas from 2005 to 2007, Director, Employee Benefits and Human Resources Systems for United Technologies Corporation from 2004 to 2005, and Director, Human Resources for Pratt & Whitney from 2002 to 2004. He holds a bachelor of arts in law and society from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a juris doctor from the Hofstra University School of Law.
John D. Torres was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary in December 2008. He had previously served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Freescale Semiconductor, a semiconductor manufacturer that was originally part of Motorola. He joined Motorola’s legal department as Senior Counsel in 1996 and was appointed Vice President, General Counsel of the company’s semiconductor business in 2001. Prior to joining Motorola, Mr. Torres was in private practice in Phoenix, specializing in commercial law, for 13 years. He holds a bachelor of arts from Notre Dame and a juris doctor from the University of Chicago.
Elliot Zimmer was appointed Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company’s Commercial Heating & Cooling segment in November 2019. He previously served as Vice President and General Manager, Lennox North America Commercial Equipment business since 2016; Vice President, Worldwide Sourcing from 2011 to 2016; and Director of Business Development from 2010 to 2011. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Zimmer was Director, Capacity Planning & Operations Strategy at Dr. Pepper Snapple. He began his professional career with McKinsey & Company in 2006. Mr. Zimmer holds a bachelor of science degree in systems engineering from the United States Military Academy, served as a Captain in the United States Army and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Chris A. Kosel was appointed Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller in May 2017. He had previously served as Vice President, Business Analysis and Planning for the Company since 2016. He also had served as Vice President, Finance and Controller / Director, Finance for the Company’s North America Commercial Business from 2015 - 2016 and Director, Financial Planning and Analysis for the Company’s Residential Business Unit from 2014 to 2015. Prior to 2014 he had served as Director, Finance for the Company’s Lennox Stores business and Director of the Company’s Financial Shared Services function. Prior to joining Lennox, he worked for Ernst & Young. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
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