Germany’s Bitzer SE is one of the leading companies in the area of refrigeration and air conditioning technology. Founded in 1934, they started out by manufacturing expansion valves and 2-cylinder DC prison compressors and is now one of the world’s largest independent manufacturers of refrigeration compressors. It has 42 operating subsidiaries in more than 90 countries, across five continents and with over 3.400 employees. Bitzer is an active shareholder in various companies, such as Lodam electronics, Lumikko and Armaturenwerk Altenburg GmbH.