Profile: Tecumseh Products Co (TECUA.O)

Tecumseh Products Company is a global manufacturer of hermetically sealed compressors for residential and specialty air conditioning, household refrigerators and freezers and commercial refrigeration applications. Its products include air conditioning and refrigeration compressors, as well as condensing units, heat pumps and complete refrigeration systems. The Company’s products range from fractional horsepower reciprocating compressors used in small refrigerators and dehumidifiers to reciprocating, rotary and scroll compressors used in commercial air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The Company sells compressors for three primary applications: commercial refrigeration, including walk-in coolers and freezers, ice makers, dehumidifiers, water coolers, food service equipment and refrigerated display cases and vending machines; household refrigerators and freezers and residential and specialty air conditioning and heat pumps, including window air conditioners, packaged terminal air conditioners and recreational vehicle and mobile air conditioners. Tecumseh’s products are sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and authorized wholesale distributors.

The Company's lines of compressors include reciprocating piston models ranging from 145 to 1,100 British thermal units /hour used in household refrigerators and freezers, reciprocating piston models ranging from 365 to 73,000 British thermal units /hour used for commercial refrigeration applications, such as ice makers, vending machines, food service equipment, display cases and refrigerated walk-in cold rooms, and rotary compressors ranging from approximately 5,000 to 32,000 British thermal units /hour used in stationary and mobile air conditioning applications. The Company also produces scroll compressors ranging from 7,400 to 44,000 British thermal units /hour that are designed specifically for demanding commercial refrigeration applications. Rotary and scroll compressors generally provide increased operating efficiency, lower equipment space requirements and reduced sound levels when compared to reciprocating piston models. In addition, the Company produces variable speed compressors for a range of uses, including military, medical, telecommunications, aircraft, transportation and automotive applications. These compressors use a variety of refrigerants for different applications, including hydrocarbon refrigerants.

The Company also produces sub-assemblies and complete refrigeration systems that use its compressors as components. Such products include indoor and outdoor condensing units, multi-cell units, and complete refrigeration systems that use both single speed and variable speed alternate current/ direct current (AC/DC) powered compressors. These products are sold to both OEMs and authorized wholesale distributors.

The Company also offers mini compressor platform for use in household refrigerators and freezers and the midi compressor platform for use in commercial refrigeration. The Company markets its compressor and condensing unit products under the brands names including Tecumseh, LUnite Hermetique by Tecumseh, Masterflux by Tecumseh, Silensys by Tecumseh, Celseon and Vector. The Company sells its products in 108 countries primarily through its own sales staff, as well as independent sales representative and authorized wholesale distributors.

The Company manufactures its products in facilities located in the United States, Brazil, France and India. The Company also has assembly plants located in Canada, Mexico, Malaysia and a joint venture located in China. They include two manufacturing facilities producing the Company's broadest product offerings. The Company produces compressor products in North America in its Mississippi manufacturing facility and assembly plants in Canada and Mexico. The Company operates three manufacturing facilities in France, an assembly plant in Malaysia, and joint ventures in China.

The Company competes with Copeland Corporation, Danfoss, Inc. and Whirlpool, S.A.