Commercial water heaters for restaurants, hotels, schools and factories are mostly built in American plants, from large tank heaters in Tennessee, South Carolina, Michigan and Alabama to electric storage heaters welded in Connecticut.
A commercial water heater is mostly its tank and heat exchanger; its controls, blowers and gas valves are often imported. Each listing names what is known to come from elsewhere.
Ranked by Made in USA level, highest first; ties are in alphabetical order. The level measures how much is made in the USA, not product quality. How the levels work
A. O. Smith makes residential and commercial water heaters, including ProLine and Signature gas and electric tank heaters, commercial tank heaters, heat pump and tankless models, and boilers; it also owns the American, State and Lochinvar brands. Founded in Milwaukee in 1874, it runs its water heater business from Ashland City, Tennessee, home of what it calls the world's largest water heater factory.
A. O. Smith's About page says its water heater business is "headquartered in Ashland City, Tennessee, home of the world's largest water heater factory," and its facilities list names US plants in Ashland City and Johnson City, Tennessee, McBee, South Carolina, El Paso, Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina and Milwaukee, plus plants in Juarez, Mexico, Nanjing, China and elsewhere. It makes no made-in-USA claim on its product pages.
Its corporate location list says Ashland City makes residential gas and electric water heaters and McBee makes commercial gas and electric water heaters, while its Juarez, Mexico plant also makes residential gas and electric water heaters, plus its heat pump and tankless models. Product pages don't say which plant built a given model; gas valves, controls and compressors are likely imported.
Production history: A. O. Smith has built water heaters in the USA for decades, at Ashland City (its largest plant), Johnson City and McBee, and makes steel cut sheets, enamel coatings and components at other Tennessee and Kentucky plants. Since 2024 its new Juarez plant makes tankless and heat pump models and some residential tanks.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, elements) are about 15–30% of a US-built heater's value.
Level 4 for its commercial gas and electric tank water heaters: A. O. Smith builds its commercial tank water heaters in McBee, South Carolina; its gas valves and controls are likely imported.
American Water Heaters makes residential and light commercial gas and electric tank water heaters sold through plumbing wholesalers, along with heat pump and tankless models. Part of A. O. Smith, it has its manufacturing, research and corporate offices in Johnson City, Tennessee.
American Water Heaters' About page: it "is a leading manufacturer of high-quality water heater products with manufacturing, research and development and corporate offices located in Johnson City, TN." A. O. Smith's plant list says Johnson City makes residential and light commercial gas and electric water heaters.
A 2000 profile described more than 500,000 square feet in Johnson City for tank fabrication, painting and assembly, and 2025–2026 job postings cover machine operators and engineers there. Its heat pump models are probably made at its parent's Juarez, Mexico plant, and its gas valves and controls are likely imported.
Production history: American Water Heaters has built tank water heaters in Johnson City for decades and is now an A. O. Smith brand; production there continued in 2026.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, elements) are about 15–30% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its commercial and light commercial tank water heaters: American Water Heaters builds its commercial and light commercial tank water heaters in Johnson City, Tennessee; its gas valves and controls are likely imported.
Bradford White makes residential and commercial gas and electric tank water heaters, AeroTherm heat pump water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, sold only through plumbing professionals. The employee-owned company is based in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and builds its water heaters in Middleville, Michigan.
Bradford White's site says: "Bradford White is an American company with its manufacturing facilities located in the United States of America. Products made by Bradford White are manufactured in the United States using the finest raw materials and components from around the world."
Its Middleville, Michigan factory bends steel into tanks and jackets, enamel-lines and foams them, and assembles heat pump water heaters, mounting their compressors there (CleanTechnica factory tour, 2024); the Alliance for American Manufacturing (2025) counts about 1,600 workers there. Its own wording says some components come from abroad; which ones (gas valves, controls, compressors) isn't stated.
Production history: Bradford White has built water heaters in Middleville for decades, bought GE's GeoSpring heat pump production in 2017 and moved it to Middleville, and in 2024–2025 bought Bock, Keltech and others; it remains employee-owned and was expanding in 2025.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, heat pump compressors) are about 10–25% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its commercial gas and electric water heaters: Bradford White builds its water heaters in Middleville, Michigan and says some components come from around the world.
Hubbell Heaters makes commercial and industrial electric water heaters, including ASME storage heaters, compact boosters for dishwashers, and hybrid heat pump models, plus indirect and gas-fired heaters. Part of Nudyne Group with Vaughn, it has built its heaters on Seymour Street in Stratford, Connecticut since 1953.
Hubbell's site says "Select Hubbell products are assembled in the USA" for Buy American Act purposes, that its products are made "with imported components," and that "All Hubbell welders have undergone testing by the American Welding Society."
A 2025 job posting at its Stratford plant covers cutting, welding, pressure testing and painting, and the Alliance for American Manufacturing (2025) says it builds electric commercial water heaters in Connecticut. Which models are built there, and where its elements and controls come from, isn't stated.
Production history: Hubbell moved to 45 Seymour Street in Stratford in 1953 and still builds heaters there; its owner, Nudyne Group, also owns Vaughn and has bought Ace Heating Solutions (2016) and Warren Electric (2023).
Our rough estimate: imported or unknown-origin parts (elements, controls, contactors) are about 10–25% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its commercial electric storage water heaters: Hubbell welds tanks and builds commercial electric water heaters in Stratford, Connecticut, and says it uses imported components.
Lochinvar makes high-efficiency commercial water heaters, including its Armor and Shield condensing models, plus boilers, storage tanks, pool heaters and residential water heaters. Part of A. O. Smith since 2011, it has its world headquarters and manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Lochinvar's About page calls it "an American company" with its "world headquarters and manufacturing facility, located in Lebanon, Tennessee," and says it expanded its production plant in 2015. It makes no made-in-USA claim on its product pages.
In 2023 Tennessee announced a $35 million expansion of Lochinvar's Lebanon manufacturing, adding 141 jobs, for energy-efficient water heating equipment. Its controls, blowers and gas valves are likely imported.
Production history: Lochinvar has built water heaters and boilers for more than 80 years; A. O. Smith bought it in 2011, and A. O. Smith lists Lebanon as making commercial water heaters, boilers and storage tanks.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (controls, blowers, gas valves) are about 20–35% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its Armor and Shield commercial water heaters: Lochinvar builds its commercial water heaters at its Lebanon, Tennessee plant; its controls and gas parts are likely imported.
Rheem makes residential and commercial gas and electric tank water heaters, ProTerra heat pump water heaters, tankless water heaters and heating and cooling equipment, sold under the Rheem, Ruud and Richmond names. Owned by Japan's Paloma, it is based in Atlanta and builds tank water heaters in Montgomery, Alabama.
Rheem says its Montgomery, Alabama water heater plant at Gunter Park opened in 1972 and was expanded in 1988 "to begin manufacturing commercial water heating systems." Its product pages make no made-in-USA claim, but Zoro lists "United States" as the country of origin for many Rheem residential gas, residential electric and commercial models.
Some models are made in Mexico: Zoro lists the PROPE50 electric and the PROG50 power direct vent gas heaters as made in Mexico, and a third party says its hybrid heat pump lines are manufactured in Mexico. Gas valves, controls and elements are likely imported.
Production history: Rheem has made water heaters in Montgomery since 1972 and still posts assembly and production jobs there; Paloma has owned it since 1988. In 2025 it closed the Waterbury, Connecticut plant of its Eemax tankless brand.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, elements) are about 10–25% of a Montgomery-built heater's value.
Level 4 for its commercial gas tank water heaters: Rheem builds most of its tank water heaters in Montgomery, Alabama, but some models are made in Mexico.
What "made in USA" means for commercial water heaters
Tanks are made here; some parts are not. The steel tanks are formed, welded and lined in US plants, but gas valves, controls and heat pump compressors are often imported.
Many brands, few owners. A. O. Smith owns American and Lochinvar, and Hubbell and Vaughn share an owner, so several brands may come from the same group of plants.
Each listing's research notes show what was checked and when, including our rough estimate of how much of the value is imported. Ratings are rechecked as companies answer.
Commercial water heater makers by state
Alabama: Rheem (Montgomery plant)
Connecticut: Hubbell Heaters (Stratford)
Michigan: Bradford White (Middleville plant)
South Carolina: A. O. Smith (McBee plant)
Tennessee: American Water Heaters (Johnson City), Lochinvar (Lebanon)
Change log
What's changed since our last review on July 12, 2017?
1 maker was added:Lochinvar, which builds commercial water heaters in Lebanon, Tennessee.
The makers on this page were re-checked, including where each has made its water heaters over the years.
Every maker now has a Made in USA level from 0 to 5, with the sources and research notes behind it. See how the levels work.
Listings checked by Dave Hurley.
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A company may be based in the USA while making some products elsewhere. Check the manufacturer's own site for where a specific product is made.
