William Shipley

As chairman of the board for York, William Shipley was instrumental in shaping the modern heating and cooling industry. But his influence reached far beyond HVAC – his leadership in The York Plan played a pivotal role in mobilizing American industry in World War II.

In the early 1940s, America faced a challenge unlike any other: scaling production for a global war effort. Many manufacturers were too small to win military contracts alone. William Shipley’s answer? Do what you can with what you have.

That simple idea became the York Plan – a groundbreaking strategy that united small companies to share resources and capabilities. It was not just about efficiency; it was about survival and purpose. The plan transformed York, Pennsylvania into a hub of cooperation and inspired communities nationwide. Shipley’s rallying cry, “Give us the tools and we will finish the job,” captured the spirit of an industry working together for something bigger.

A legacy of firsts

The York Plan marked a significant point in the Johnson Controls story, but it was not the first major impact that York equipment helped us achieve. The tradition of innovation began in 1885 with the Jarman Ice Machine: the first available ice machine and a revolution for industrial refrigeration. Those cooling breakthroughs took new shape in 1924 when we provided comfort to San Joaquin Light & Power and St. Anthony Hotel – the first air-conditioned commercial building and first air-conditioned hotel, respectively.

Advancements continued in the following years with:

• The first single-room air conditioner (1935)
• The world’s largest air conditioning installation at the U.S. Capitol Building, Senate and other government buildings in Washington, D.C. (1937)
• The first airflow pre-rotation vanes in 1951 – a major leap forward in HVAC efficiency

Though Shipley passed away in 1951, his inventive mindset carried on through the decades. It helped inspire:

• The first lightweight Turbomatic compressor (1956) to revolutionize skyscraper comfort
• The first computer-controlled variable speed pump (1976) to optimize energy use
• A historic cooling application for the English Channel Tunnel installation (1995)

Focused on the future

We continue to build on the momentum created by William Shipley and other like-minded visionaries. The York YZ Centrifugal Chiller (introduced in 2018) was developed to leverage frictionless, magnetic-bearing technology and utilize low GWP refrigerants – the first chiller of its kind. That spirit took to the seas in 2019 when we helped Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise ships reuse waste heat and drive sustainability away from shore.

In 2025 and beyond, we are on the forefront of the connected chiller revolution – a smarter, data-driven approach to improving uptime and reducing energy use. We also offer the largest portfolio of HVAC equipment and controls in the world, which empowers us to create comfortable, healthy and sustainable building environments that benefit people and the planet.

If you’re planning your next project or ready to upgrade your facility’s performance, this is your chance to experience the difference 140 years of innovation can make.