Midea is the world's largest manufacturer of mini-split heat pumps by volume - a fact that surprises people who've never heard of the brand. The Chinese company holds roughly 11.3% of the global AC market (second only to Daikin) and produces equipment for Toshiba, Carrier, Lennox, LG, and Samsung through OEM arrangements. Odds are good you've used Midea-manufactured equipment without knowing it.

Founded in 1968 in Foshan, Guangdong, Midea has grown into a manufacturing giant with 150,000+ employees across 200+ subsidiaries and 28 R&D centers. The company owns MDV (commercial climate control), EVOX (residential inverter heat pumps), and several appliance brands. In China, Midea is the top-selling residential air conditioner brand.

For North American consumers, Midea represents an emerging option that competes on value. The equipment is widely available through major retailers and distributors. Whether Midea matches Japanese brands like Mitsubishi or Fujitsu on cold-climate performance and long-term reliability remains to be proven in the U.S. market, but the manufacturing scale is undeniable.