In the valley of the sun
Extreme heatwaves are becoming more frequent all over the world, affecting large cities in particular. Bosch wants to make everyday life more bearable with air conditioning technology. A visit to the Arizona desert.
The weather report is promising a mild day. The U.S. metropolitan area of Phoenix is expecting temperatures to reach just 39 degrees Celsius this Wednesday, providing a welcome cool spell for 4.8 million inhabitants, following the previous week when temperatures hit almost 47 degrees. Here in the hottest city in the U.S. right in the Arizona desert, such record temperatures are part of everyday life in summer. Residents have come up with different strategies to deal with it.
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“One way is to stay at home where it is cool. Another is to eat a lot of ice cream,” says Antoine Coffer, laughing. He is sitting in his house in Peoria, a chic suburb of Phoenix. The thermostat shows a pleasant 23 degrees Celsius. “Having an air conditioner here is a matter of life and death,” he declares dramatically. If the appliance were to fail, a house would heat up in no time. As Antoine is a diabetic, a broken AC unit is a particular health risk. Recently, a new air conditioning system in his house has been ensuring constant temperatures. “I wanted a top-of-the-range product. That’s why my tradesman recommended Bosch to me.”
The system was installed by Gabe Bond. “We supply ten customers in the region here every day,” he says while inspecting the Bosch appliance in the garden. “People want it to be cool, but they don’t want to pay too much.” Monthly electricity bills could rise to up to 800 U.S. dollars in the summer here, explains the tradesman. “With Bosch systems, we can ensure savings of up to 30 percent and more.” Electricity prices in Arizona are rising rapidly. Phoenix and other cities in the region are among the fastest growing in the US, which is driving sales and prices.
A billion-dollar market
The demand for climate solutions is also growing worldwide. The global market for air conditioning systems was worth around 100 billion euros in 2024. Sales of appliances could rise to more than 200 million units per year by 2030, almost 20 percent more than last year. The need is particularly high in large cities. This is because they heat up particularly fast, forming so-called heat islands. Reasons include dense development, sealed surfaces, and little vegetation. At the same time, more and more people around the world are moving to urban areas. Around 60 percent of the world’s population already lives in cities – and the trend is rising.
100 billion euros
This was the value of the global market for climate systems in 2024.
In view of these developments, Bosch is massively expanding its climate solutions business. In August 2025, the company completed the largest acquisition in its history, acquiring the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning solutions business for residential and small and medium-sized commercial buildings from Johnson Controls and the Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning joint venture for 8 billion U.S. dollars. The acquisition almost doubles the size of the Bosch Home Comfort division to 25,000 associates and more than 8 billion euros in turnover. This marks the company’s entry into the Champions League of the global heating, ventilation, and air conditioning industry. York and Hitachi are two strong global brands joining the company, along with other regional brands.
Popular brand
In Phoenix, the York brand in particular can be seen on many rooftops, including at Steven Ohlhausen’s plant. The 67-year-old leads the way through the warehouse of his company Unelko, which manufactures cleaners and nano coatings for glass, ceramic, and stone surfaces. “We need a cool environment for our employees, but also for our business,” he says. “Our chemicals and products are best stored at constant temperatures.” Last year, a total of six new York systems were commissioned here. They are now cooling the office space. “So far they have worked fabulously,” says Ohlhausen.
Eric Lander is pleased to hear that. He is regional account manager for the York brand and is visiting the plant today. He has been part of the Bosch Home Comfort Group since August 1, along with almost 12,000 other people worldwide. “We are excited to join the Bosch Group now – a company with a great reputation worldwide, across many products and industries.” Eric Lander sells York commercial and residential products to independent distributors across the Western United States, which in turn supply local tradesmen. “I support these distributors in their sales and other strategies,” he explains. His most important customer is US Air Conditioning Distributors (US Air), the largest buyer of York products in the U.S.
We only know two seasons here: ‘Hot as hell’ and ‘Why we live here’
New partner
Steven Edwards is U.S. Air’s general manager for the state of Arizona. For the interview, he has come to the Sonoran Desert not far from Phoenix. “We only know two seasons here: ‘Hot as hell’ and ‘Why we live here’,” he says laughing. Edwards grew up in the region and talks enthusiastically about cacti, snakes, and the dangers of heat.
“Air conditioners are not a luxury here. They are a necessity,” he says. In the metropolitan region, around 1.5 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of AC units are sold annually. US Air operates five locations in the Valley of the Sun, the nickname for the city of Phoenix, employing 60 people throughout the state. They specialize in the distribution of York products. “The brand is known for its durability and reliability; and the units are easy to maintain,” says Edwards.
The latest acquisition means Bosch now also has a stake in US Air Conditioning, marking a strategically important step to open up new sales channels. “Bosch is renowned around the world for quality, innovation, and responsibility,” says Edwards, “and air conditioning systems are an excellent match.” That is because the appliances are important for the health and quality of life of many people.
Edwards also appreciates his air-conditioned home in the summer. Yet this Arizona native has his own solution to beat the weather: “If the heat is not too extreme, I like to ride my motorcycle out into the desert and enjoy the wind on my face. That’s what I love about Arizona.”
