A. O. Smith Corp. announced the retirement of Eddie Goodwin, senior vice president of A. O. Smith Corp., and president and general manager of Lochinvar, will retire July 1, and Stephen O’Brien, COO, has been named the successor.

“Since joining the company over 40 years ago, Eddie’s vast experience and steadfast leadership has helped shape Lochinvar into the industry-leading, high-efficiency boiler and water heater manufacturer it is today,” said Kevin Wheeler, chairman, president and CEO. “He has built a strong team committed to designing, manufacturing and selling high quality, innovative products that meet our customer’s needs. We thank him for his vision and commitment to our customers, our employees and the A. O. Smith values over the past four decades.”

In his new role, O’Brien will build on the strong foundation Goodwin and his team have established, by implementing the strategic vision for the organization and further expanding Lochinvar’s innovative product lines. O’Brien has served as chief operating officer for Lochinvar since August of 2021 and is uniquely qualified to assume the role of president going forward. O’Brien joined Lochinvar from Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) and prior to that, worked for A. O. Smith Electrical Products Co. for 14 years before the company was sold to Regal Beloit Corp. He holds an MBA from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from State University of New York at Potsdam. 

“With his extensive experience in the HVAC industry, his strong leadership skills and focus on customer satisfaction, Steve is the ideal person to lead our Lochinvar business unit going forward,” Wheeler added. “I am confident the transition will be seamless, and Steve’s extensive background and business development skills will further strengthen Lochinvar’s channel partnerships and our presence in the market.”