Hart & Cooley

Hart & Cooley, Inc. is a North American manufacturer serving the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning market. Its product portfolio covers both residential and commercial applications, including grilles, registers, diffusers, duct-system components, flexible air duct, Type-B gas vent, chimney systems and liners, roof flashings, and access doors. The company operates manufacturing plants and distribution facilities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, positioning the brand as a supplier to HVAC contractors, builders, distributors, and other construction-industry customers. The company was established in 1901 in New Britain, Connecticut, by Howard Hart and Norman Cooley. It is described as the first American company to manufacture warm-air registers from stamped steel, giving the business an early specialization in a core air-distribution component. During the 1920s, Hart & Cooley moved to Holland, Michigan, which served as its headquarters for nearly nine decades. The move placed the company in a region that remained important to its manufacturing and corporate identity for much of its history. Hart & Cooley temporarily redirected its production during the Second World War. Rather than continuing to manufacture HVAC materials, the company produced electrical shipboard boxes and mortar shells in support of wartime requirements. After the war, it resumed its normal HVAC-related production. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the business broadened beyond warm-air registers into Type-B venting for gas-fired appliances, all-fuel chimney systems, and flexible air ducting. This expansion transformed Hart & Cooley from a focused register manufacturer into a broader provider of air-distribution and combustion-venting products. The company marked its centennial in June 2001. In 2007, it moved its headquarters from Holland to Grand Rapids, Michigan, approximately 30 miles northeast of its former location. Over the following decades, Hart & Cooley expanded its brand portfolio through acquisitions or incorporation of brands including Selkirk, Portals Plus, Lima, Ward Industries, Roof Products and Systems, Milcor, and AMPCO. These additions supported a wider offering across venting, roofing, access, and related building-product categories. Hart & Cooley adopted the slogan “Install Confidence” and introduced its current logo in 2013. The rebranding was initiated by then-president Michael C. Winn, with the logo designed by graphic designer John Scianna. The brand’s present positioning emphasizes dependable installation, breadth of product coverage, and service to professional HVAC and building-product channels. Public reference material does not establish a standalone public listing, current parent company, current owner, or detailed current executive roster.

Hart & Cooley was founded in 1901 in New Britain, Connecticut, by Howard Hart and Norman Cooley. The company’s early significance came from its manufacture of warm-air registers made from stamped steel, a specialization that placed it among the early American producers of standardized HVAC air-distribution equipment. Its original focus was closely tied to the development and adoption of warm-air heating systems in residential and commercial buildings. In the 1920s, the company moved to Holland, Michigan. Holland remained the organization’s headquarters for almost 90 years and became the principal location associated with its corporate and manufacturing history. The company’s business changed substantially during the Second World War, when it suspended ordinary HVAC-material production and made electrical shipboard boxes and mortar shells for wartime use. Once the war ended, Hart & Cooley returned to its customary HVAC production. During the second half of the twentieth century, Hart & Cooley expanded its range beyond registers. Newer product categories included Type-B venting for gas-fired appliances, all-fuel chimney systems, and flexible air ducting. This development broadened the company’s role from an air-register specialist to a diversified supplier of air-distribution, ducting, venting, chimney, and related building products. Hart & Cooley celebrated its 100th anniversary in June 2001. In 2007, the company transferred its headquarters to Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city approximately 30 miles northeast of Holland. It subsequently developed a broader brand portfolio through acquisitions or additions that included Selkirk, Portals Plus, Lima, Ward Industries, Roof Products and Systems, Milcor, and AMPCO. These brand relationships expanded the range of products associated with the company across HVAC, venting, roofing, and access applications. In 2013, Hart & Cooley introduced its present logo during a major corporate rebranding led by then-president Michael C. Winn. Graphic designer John Scianna designed the logo. The company uses the slogan “Install Confidence,” reflecting its professional-market orientation and emphasis on products intended for installation by HVAC and building-trade professionals. Hart & Cooley’s documented operating footprint includes manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and other facilities across North America, including the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its listed product categories include grilles, registers, diffusers, duct-system components, flexible air duct, Type-B gas vent, chimneys, chimney liners, roof flashings, and access doors. Publicly available reference material identifies the company as active but does not provide a verified current owner, parent company, public-market listing, current website, or comprehensive list of present executives.

• 2013

  Current logo introduced

  [1]Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org

  Hart & Cooley launched its present logo as part of a major rebranding led by then-president Michael C. Winn.

• 2007

  Headquarters move to Grand Rapids

  [1]Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org

  The company moved its headquarters from Holland to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

• 2001

  Centennial anniversary

  [1]Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org

  Hart & Cooley celebrated its centennial anniversary in June 2001.

• 1940

  Wartime production shift

  [1]Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org

  During the Second World War, the company stopped normal HVAC-material production and manufactured electrical shipboard boxes and mortar shells.

• 1920

  Headquarters move to Holland, Michigan

  [1]Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1920s, Hart & Cooley moved to Holland, Michigan, which remained its headquarters for almost 90 years.

• 1901

  Company founded in New Britain

  [1]Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org

  Howard Hart and Norman Cooley established Hart & Cooley Manufacturing Company in New Britain, Connecticut, to manufacture warm-air registers from stamped steel.

A professional HVAC and building-products manufacturer positioned around installation reliability, broad product coverage, and North American manufacturing and distribution. Its “Install Confidence” slogan reinforces a contractor-oriented promise of dependable specification and installation.

• Air distribution · 1901

  Grilles, registers, and diffusers

  These products distribute and direct conditioned air within residential and commercial buildings. Registers and grilles represent the company’s historic product foundation, while diffusers support controlled delivery of air from duct systems into occupied spaces.

• HVAC ducting

  Duct-system components

  Hart & Cooley manufactures components used to assemble, connect, finish, and support HVAC duct systems. They are intended for professional installation in air-distribution networks serving residential and commercial applications.

• HVAC ducting

  Flexible air duct

  Flexible air ducting forms part of the company’s expanded HVAC portfolio. It is used where duct routes require flexibility around building structures and equipment, complementing rigid duct-system components and air-distribution terminals.

• Combustion venting

  Type-B gas vent

  Type-B gas vent products are designed for venting approved gas-fired appliances. The category reflects Hart & Cooley’s expansion into appliance exhaust and combustion-venting systems beyond its original register business.

• Chimney and venting

  Chimney systems and liners

  The company offers all-fuel chimney systems and chimney liners for applications requiring dedicated flue and exhaust pathways. These products broaden the brand into residential and building-service venting infrastructure.

• Building components

  Roof flashings and access doors

  Roof flashings support weather-resistant transitions around roof penetrations, while access doors provide controlled entry to service areas and building systems. Both categories complement Hart & Cooley’s HVAC and construction-oriented product range.

• 2013Hart & Cooley rebranding

  United States · Canada · Mexico

  The company undertook a major rebranding and introduced its current logo under the leadership of then-president Michael C. Winn. The new visual identity was designed by John Scianna and was paired with the “Install Confidence” slogan.

  Outcome. The rebrand established the current corporate identity described in public reference material.

  Source

• 2013

  Corporate rebranding and logo changeStrategy

  Background

  Hart & Cooley had expanded beyond its original warm-air-register focus into ducting, venting, chimney, roofing, and access products.

  Action taken

  Under then-president Michael C. Winn, the company introduced its current logo and used the slogan “Install Confidence.”

  Aftermath

  The new identity represented the company’s broader product and market position.

  Source

• 2007

  Relocation of corporate headquartersStrategy

  Background

  Hart & Cooley had maintained its headquarters in Holland, Michigan, for almost 90 years.

  Action taken

  The company moved its headquarters to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

  Aftermath

  Grand Rapids became the company’s identified home-office location.

  Source

1. 1Hart & Cooleyen.wikipedia.org