A. O. Smith Overview
Company Headquarters: US
Founded: 1874
Workforce: ~15,100
Company Working: A. O. Smith is one of the global leaders implementing innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions in products manufactured and marketed across the world. It is a globally leading manufacturer of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers. Moreover, the company offers water treatment products for residential and light commercial purposes. It operates through two reporting segments, namely, North America and the rest of the world. Its rest of world segment primarily comprises China, India, and countries in Europe.
A. O. Smith serves customers in more than 60 countries around the world, including the US, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, and Vietnam. The company is part of the S&P 500 Index. Qinyuan, Angel, Midea, and Xiaomi are some of its major competitors in the water treatment market. In India, it competes with Bajaj and Havels in the water heater market, and it competes with Eureka Forbes, Kent, and Hindustan Unilever in the water treatment market.
Strategy
A. O. Smith focuses on acquisitions and mergers. The company has been expanding its core residential and commercial water heating, boiler, and water treatment businesses globally. Additionally, it focuses on introducing water treatment products for adding to its operations in the lucrative regions. Moreover, it invests in research & development to introduce new products and processes in the global market. For instance, its total research & development expenditure was USD 80.1 million, USD 86.4 million, and USD 94.0 million in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively.



