Madison Air: Seeing Air Differently
In 2017, Madison Industries (Madison) recognized a growing opportunity in one of the world’s most overlooked but essential resources: air.
The idea took shape following a visit to the Smithsonian Institution, where Madison-owned gas filtration systems were being used to help preserve priceless works of art. While watching experts measure contaminants at parts-per-billion levels, Madison Industries Founder and CEO Larry Gies asked why the same standards weren’t being applied to the places where people spend their lives.
“They told me they measured air quality that precisely because they wanted these fine works of art to last forever,” Gies recalled. “My response was simple: what about humans? We want them to last, too.”
The conversation sparked a deeper look into indoor air quality. It became clear that while people spend the majority of their lives indoors, building design had historically prioritized energy efficiency over indoor air quality. The insight led to a simple but powerful idea: build a business dedicated to helping customers unlock the value of air.
As with many Madison businesses, the approach was straightforward – find talented people who are passionate about solving meaningful problems, invest in proven technologies, and give them the resources to grow.
Today, Madison Air’s portfolio includes trusted brands such as Addison, AprilAire, Big Ass Fans, Broan-NuTone, Nortek Air Solutions, Nortek Data Center Cooling and Reznor. Together, these businesses deliver a broad range of solutions that support customers in mission-critical commercial environments and residential applications.
Underpinning the company’s strategy is its Return on Air® approach, helping customers achieve measurable business outcomes through expertise, partnership and highly engineered custom- and semi-custom solutions. Whether protecting critical infrastructure, enabling safe operations, supporting learning environments or keeping families healthy at home, Madison Air’s solutions help customers solve their most complex challenges and deliver tangible results.
Through more than 10 acquisitions and over $8 billion of invested capital, Madison Industries brought together complementary businesses that would become Madison Air, a leading provider of air quality solutions. Today Madison Air generates more than $3.5 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 9,000 people worldwide.
On April 16, 2026, Madison Air reached a significant milestone when it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MAIR. The initial public offering raised more than $2.6 billion, one of the largest U.S. industrial IPOs in history, positioning Madison Air for its next phase of growth.
The creation of Madison Air reflects Madison Industries’ approach to business building: identify compelling opportunities, recruit exceptional talent, and invest behind them. As Gies explains, “When you find great people who are passionate about a goal, passionate about doing something good for the world, and you find great technologies and put that together, magic happens. That’s what we created at Madison Air.”
Madison Air continues to advance its mission of helping customer unlock the full value of air, making the world safer, healthier and more productive through the power of better air.