​Amana History

A History of Quality and Innovation


While Amana® brand Heating and Air Conditioning are renowned as a superior line of commercial and residential HVAC products, the Amana® name itself has long been a revered symbol of American ingenuity when it comes to their venerable lines of commercial and residential appliances. It all began in 1934, when George Foerstner founded Amana Refrigerator Inc. in Amana, Iowa, and accepted a challenge from an Iowa City businessman to build a dependable beverage cooler. Amana Refrigerator Inc. successfully met that challenge and, two years later, the company introduced another innovative product that soon became indispensable for commercial establishments such as grocery stores and restaurants – the walk-in beverage cooler, also known as a cold storage locker.


During World War II, Amana® brand equipment received the Army-Navy "E" Award for Excellence for supplying the military with its walk-in coolers. As the war ended, Amana production shifted back to improvements for the home front with the development of freezers that were ideal for residential use. Branching out from the refrigeration field, the company soon became an American institution in the design and manufacture of a wide array of innovative commercial and residential appliances that have virtually revolutionized the quality of our lives.


Today the Amana® PTAC is the market leader and is found in thousands of hotels and institutions in the US and around the world. It's reliability and products features have made it the PTAC of choice across the land.