Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services, has formalised the acquisition of the residential and light commercial HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) business from Johnson Controls, including its stake in the Johnson Controls-Hitachi joint venture, in a move to strengthen its energy and building technology portfolio.
Following the deal, the largest acquisition in the company's history, Bosch Group said its Home Comfort division has almost doubled in size to over 25,000 associates across the globe and more than €8 billion in sales.
Bosch is thus significantly expanding its presence, especially in America and Asia, and becoming one of the largest suppliers in the market for heating, ventilation, and cooling of residential and small commercial buildings worldwide.
The transaction, first announced a year ago, closed as scheduled on July 31.
Bosch said the acquisition marks a significant step in its "Corporate Strategy 2030," aimed at accelerating growth, expanding its global footprint, and rebalancing its business portfolio. The contracts were signed roughly one year ago.
The move gives the German engineering and technology group a broader presence in the global HVAC market, amid rising demand for energy-efficient building solutions
"With the largest acquisition in our company history, we are accelerating our growth, expanding our global footprint, and balancing our business by strengthening our energy and building technology – this makes Bosch more powerful and robust, in line with our corporate strategy 2030," remarked Stefan Hartung, the Chairman of the Bosch board of management.
"The entire HVAC industry is in a state of upheaval, and the market and technologies are changing. Bosch is systematically taking advantage of its opportunities and is now moving up to the Champions League in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning solutions business," he added.
Ambitious goals, strong brands
With the new lineup, Home Comfort wants to grow significantly faster than the global HVAC market, said the statement from Bosch.
As per company estimates, this will increase by up to 5% every year until 2030.
"Bosch wants to be one of the leading companies in each of its industries by 2030 and is expanding its business with strategic investments in growth areas, among other things. Acquisitions are also part of the strategy," remarked Christian Fischer, deputy chairman of the board of management and responsible for strategic growth initiatives and portfolio management.
"The current acquisition perfectly complements our portfolio. We can now offer our customers the entire range of HVAC technologies – from a single source and worldwide," he added.
Bosch said the acquisition also includes strategically important company investments and joint venture interests, among other things, in component manufacturers and sales partners. These investments are expected to make a significant contribution to the financial result of Home Comfort in the future.
With its expanded product and brand portfolio, Home Comfort wants to better exploit the potential of its strong and established sales channels and boost sales. Integrated purchasing and the joint development of product platforms should also ensure cost savings, it stated.
It is hoped that initial successes will be seen as early as 2026. The company can rely on strong brands for this: in addition to Bosch and Buderus, these now also include York in the USA and Hitachi in Asia, as well as other strong local brands.
Licences acquire for York and Hitachi
The company is acquiring long-term licences to use the brand names for York and Hitachi.
The global production network of Home Comfort will grow from 17 to 33 plants as a result of the acquisition, while the number of development sites is increasing from 14 to 26, said the statement.
The completion of the transaction marks the beginning of the integration of the new units into the Home Comfort division at Bosch. This should be completed by the end of 2027, it added.
The current acquisition means that Bosch is positioning itself much more broadly – especially for air conditioning solutions. With its large product portfolio, international presence, and the sales channels of the purchased units, the company is tapping into attractive growth prospects.
According to Bosch analyses, the global market for HVAC systems amounted to more than 150 billion euros in 2024. Air conditioning systems alone accounted for two-thirds of this.
Demand will continue to increase significantly in the coming years, owing to global warming as well as other factors. The sales of air conditioning units worldwide are expected to increase to more than 200 million units per year by 2030, almost a fifth more than in 2024, it added.
Frank Meyer, who is responsible for energy and building technology and thus also for the Home Comfort division at Bosch, said: "We want to help shape this market - and use energy-efficient solutions to ensure that people can make their everyday lives comfortable and healthy, even on increasingly hotter days, whether at home, at work, or while shopping."
New global players in the game
In the future, Home Comfort’s business will be managed directly in the three world regions of America, Asia, and Europe / Middle East / Africa. This orientation is also reflected in the new global executive board of the division as of August 1, 2025.
As per the deal, Jan Brockmann, the executive management president of Home Comfort, will become President of the future organisation and at the same time will take on the role of regional president for the Europe / Middle East / Africa region.
Brockmann said: "We have ambitious growth targets in all regions of the world. We are consistently focusing our new organization on this."
"By strengthening regional responsibility, we can meet customer needs even better," he stated.
David Budzinski, previously president of residential and light commercial at Johnson Controls and CEO of the Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning JV, will be appointed to the global executive board. He assumes responsibility for the Americas region and becomes deputy to Jan Brockmann.
Ulrich Lissmann, who is also joining the global executive board, will be responsible for Asia-Pacific.
Nora Klug, previously General Counsel of the Bosch Group, will assume the role of chief people and governance officer.
As chief transformation officer, Oliver Koukal will take care of the integration of the acquired business, which he has already been responsible for as project manager.
The current members of the executive management Thomas Volz and Birte Luebbert will continue to be members of the global executive board. Thomas Volz will be chief financial officer, Birte Luebbert will serve as chief operating officer.
Mideast HVAC market top focus for Home Comfort
With the Middle East region gaining prominence in the global shift toward energy-efficient heating and cooling solutions, Bosch Home Comfort Group is intensifying its operations across the Middle East to meet rising demand for sustainable HVAC technologies, leveraging the region’s dynamic growth, supportive green policies, and increasing focus on Net Zero 2050 targets.
"With strong regional demand for cooling and a clear push toward energy efficiency, the Middle East HVAC market presents a significant opportunity for deploying innovative heating and cooling systems," remarked Ahmed Aqel, the general manager, Bosch Home Comfort Group Middle East.
"We are committed to working closely with governments, industry partners, and customers to accelerate the adoption of efficient hybrid and heat pump technologies," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
