A. O. Smith Corporation announced today that it has been recognized as a 2026 World’s Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere.

A. O. Smith has been honored with this award for three consecutive years and is one of only 13 honorees in the industrial manufacturing category. In 2026, 138 honorees were recognized, spanning 17 countries and 40 industries.

“For 152 years, A. O. Smith has led the industry with integrity and accountability, guiding every decision we make,” said President and CEO Steve Shafer. “This recognition reflects the strength of our culture and our employees’ commitment to living our values and doing what’s right — every day.” 

The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance, governance, a culture of ethics, environmental and social impact, and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by a panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.

“Congratulations to A. O. Smith for achieving recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere’s chief strategy officer and executive chair. “As we mark the 20th class of honorees, this group continues to raise the bar for business integrity by embedding ethics into everyday decision-making and long-term strategy. Companies with strong ethics, compliance, and governance programs are built for better long-term performance.”