Living Direct, Inc.

Who owns Living Direct?
Ferguson plc, the NYSE listed distributor (ticker FERG), which acquired the company in October 2015.

Is Living Direct publicly traded?
No. It is a private subsidiary; its parent Ferguson trades publicly.

What brands does Living Direct own?
EdgeStar, Koldfront and Avallon, covering specialty refrigeration, compact appliances and premium built in products.

When was Living Direct founded?
In 1999 in Austin, Texas, originally as an online specialty appliance retailer. It launched its first owned brand, EdgeStar, in 2004.

Where is Living Direct headquartered?
Austin, Texas, where product development and support are based.

Where are Living Direct products made?
By contract manufacturers in China, South Korea and Thailand.

Living Direct began in 1999 in Austin, Texas as a niche appliance e-commerce retailer, operating specialty sites including CompactAppliance.com and Kegerator.com. The business gave founder Rick Lundbom and his team a front row view of which products customers wanted but mainstream appliance brands did not build.

In 2004 the company launched EdgeStar, its first house brand, for compact refrigerators, kegerators, wine coolers and portable air conditioners. Customer response validated the model, and Living Direct added Koldfront in 2006 for compact and portable appliances and Avallon in 2013 for premium built in refrigeration.

Ferguson Enterprises acquired Living Direct in October 2015, folding it into the plumbing giant's network. In 2017 the company divested its retail websites and became a pure product development and support business for the three owned brands, the form it holds today.

The retail divestiture completed a two decade arc from store to brand. The same team that once competed for appliance shoppers now supplies the retailers it used to run alongside, and the product line grew outward from the original compact refrigeration niche into dishwashers, compact laundry, ice makers and specialty medical and outdoor refrigeration.