The Company Behind Frigidaire Also Owns 2 Major Appliance Brands

When shopping for a major home appliance, the choices can be overwhelming. Are you looking for reliability? A bargain? Something made locally? The world of appliance manufacturing is truly global, and the market is flooded with brands. But this diversity of choice may not be what it seems. It is common for one major appliance company to own many brands, from luxury to everyday labels. Bosch owns several other appliance brands, and other household names like G.E. and KitchenAid are owned by larger, multi-brand companies. The same is true for popular brand Frigidaire, which is owned by another manufacturer you may have heard of: Electrolux.

Electrolux makes ovens, laundry machines, refrigerators, and other major household appliances considered fairly high-end. Consumer Reports (CR) gives the brand high marks for its cooktops and washing machines. Founded in Sweden in 1919, this multinational company now has other brands under its global label. Frigidaire is its most well-known U.S. brand, and makes refrigerators and window air conditioners that are CR recommended buys. (Other Frigidaire appliances like dishwashers and wall ovens are decidedly middle-of-the-road when it comes to CR ratings and consumer reviews.) The other major global brand owned by Electrolux is its well-regarded AEG appliance label, popular in Europe. 

Frigidaire evokes the epitome of American engineering, even if it is now owned by Swedish Electrolux. The original maker behind Frigidaire invented the freezer, and the company became a household name in refrigeration in the mid-1900s. Frigidaire was bought and sold throughout the 20th century, with its label expanding to nearly every major household appliance. It eventually landed at Electrolux in 1986. 

Electrolux has also gobbled up other American appliance brands over the years, including U.S.-based Tappan, Gibson, and Westinghouse, all now out of production. In 2015, Electrolux tried to buy G.E.'s appliance-making arm, but the deal was blocked by the U.S. Justice Department to protect competition in the U.S. appliance market. The Swedish company has itself sold off smaller brands to others, such as its Kelvinator appliance brand popular in India, which in 2025 was sold to Reliance Retail. 

With all this moving and shaking in the appliance market, it can be tricky to figure out the provenance of a given appliance, or find an American-made brand. But while many companies like Electrolux are headquartered outside the U.S., they still make appliances at U.S plants. Electrolux has several factories in the Southeast, although some of its major manufacturing has moved to Mexico. Michigan-based Whirlpool makes most of its appliances in the U.S., and other major companies like G.E. have several U.S. plants. But appliance manufacturing is truly a global enterprise. It seems to change all the time, so don't be surprised if that name-brand washing machine or refrigerator you want to buy is made, or at least owned, by a multinational corporation.