This Thanksgiving season, we’re taking a moment to appreciate an industry that has transformed the way we live, work, and do business, as well as the communities that have trusted WAY Companies to be a part of it for more than a century.
Where Modern Air Conditioning Began
Modern air conditioning traces its roots to 1902, when Willis Carrier developed a system to control temperature and humidity for a printing operation. What began as a solution to an industrial problem would eventually transform buildings and businesses around the world.
Not long after, WAY’s own story began.
In 1918, a modest refrigeration business opened its doors in Houston, Texas. From those beginnings, WAY grew alongside a rapidly changing industry into the commercial and industrial HVAC, facility services, and building automation company we are today.
Growing Alongside an Industry
Innovation has always been part of our story.
By the 1930s, WAY was pioneering the use of ice-based thermal storage systems to cool churches and movie theaters across Texas. In the 1980s, we were among the early adopters of performance contracting, using data and energy savings to help fund building improvements.
Over those same decades, HVAC evolved from basic temperature and humidity control into sophisticated systems supporting manufacturing, healthcare, commercial buildings, technology, and other critical operations.
Today, building automation, real-time monitoring, advanced controls, and increasingly efficient equipment continue to move our industry forward.
More Than a Century Later
More than a century of progress has transformed the HVAC industry, and WAY has continued to evolve right alongside it.
Today, we’re in our fourth generation of family leadership, combining generations of experience with modern technology and expertise. Some of our employees have spent decades with WAY, while others are second- and third-generation members of our team.
As the industry continues to advance, so do we, helping commercial and industrial facilities operate better, longer, and smarter.
Thankful for Our Past and the People Who Made It Possible
This November, we’re thankful for the innovations that built our industry, the generations of skilled professionals who moved it forward, and the customers and communities that have allowed WAY to grow alongside it.
From a refrigeration business in Houston in 1918 to the company we are today, we’re proud of the history we’ve built together.