In Business since 1906
Founded in Resilience
Norman Scott Wright, son of Scottish immigrants, founded his equipment business in 1906. Within months, San Francisco’s legendary earthquake and fires brought financial ruin. But this born optimist rebuilt and guided the company for more than 40 years, creating a solid company with a trusted reputation and a bright future.
Rooted in San Francisco
Norman S. Wright has been a cornerstone of San Francisco’s resilience and growth. Starting in the bustling Market Street area, the company expanded through seven buildings, each move reflecting its steady progress and deep roots in the city. Today, NSW continues its legacy from its current location, honoring over a century of innovation and trusted service that started in the Bay Area.
Built on Values
Through the coming decades, the company’s formula for success was established: handpick the best team, choose product lines selectively, and make customer satisfaction the top priority. In 1947, Norm Jr. stepped into his father’s shoes and led the company into the newly minted HVAC sector. Today, President Rich Leao continues the tradition of getting it right for customers to earn their business for another 100 years.
San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
Norman S. Wright, 1932
Innovation and Excellence Through the Years
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Norman S. Wright built an equipment company from the ground up with a focus on serving the offshore marine industry in California. Through the coming decades, the company’s formula for success was established: handpick the best team, choose product lines selectively, and make customer satisfaction the top priority.”
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Norman Wright’s son, Norm Jr. took the helm of the company. The company opened offices throughout California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, and Texas.
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Norm Jr. hired a recent U.C. Berkeley graduate and future owner, Jack Kniveton. The two followed their hunch that air conditioning, a brand new technology, would be the next big thing. They were right. As HVAC became a popular trend, Norm and Jack turned their company into the largest distributor of commercial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment in the Western United States. ”
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The oil shock of the 1970’s impacted HVAC equipment greatly, challenging manufacturers to design energy efficient products. Future NSW CEO Rich Leao joined the company in 1973. The company consolidated in California, Nevada and Hawaii.”
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Future partners Bob Beyer and Sal Giglio joined in the mid 1980’s. Global warming and sustainability shaped the HVAC industry in challenging ways. A new company, NSW-PEP, was formed to meet the power and cooling needs of data center clients. Utah and Colorado offices were added to the NSW family. ”
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In honor of the 100th birthday of NSW, March 11th was established in San Francisco as “Norman S. Wright Company Day.” We are honored that Mayor Gavin Newsom took this step to recognize our enduring commitment and contributions to the Bay Area.”
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Cooling demand from artificial intelligence ready computer chips and government mandates for de-carbonization are influencing HVAC equipment design. Today Leao, Giglio and a team of over 300 veteran HVAC professionals are continuing to meet the needs of the marketplace with unmatched expertise and a commitment to excellence.”
NSW Today and for the Future
Norman S. Wright continues to pioneer new directions in energy efficient “green” HVAC solutions from around the world. By incorporating selective equipment lines from U.S., European, and Japanese manufacturers, our team has developed a product portfolio of unmatched scope, variety, and quality.
According to our president, Rich Leao, “Great people, hard work, and a tireless commitment to getting it right for our customers are the ingredients for our success. Our goal is to keep it up so we can earn their business for another 100 years." We believe we can do it!