Samsung Electronics is making a strategic push into the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) maintenance market. By leveraging its logistics subsidiary, Samsung Electronics Logitec, the tech giant aims to expand its integrated maintenance services, thereby establishing a comprehensive post-purchase value chain in South Korea.
Last month, Samsung Electronics Logitec officially registered as a mechanical equipment performance inspection business. This move allows the subsidiary to go beyond basic installation and cleaning, enabling it to perform legally mandated performance inspections. This expansion aligns with Samsung's broader efforts to bolster its HVAC business, including the recent establishment of FlaktGroup's Korean entity.
The mechanical equipment inspection business involves assessing the performance of HVAC, ventilation, piping, and automated control systems within buildings. It is a sophisticated field that requires reviewing blueprints, operational data, and maintenance history to provide energy usage analysis, aging evaluations, and long-term performance improvement plans.
With this new certification, Samsung Electronics Logitec can now offer end-to-end consulting for B2B clients--such as schools, hospitals, hotels, and factories. The company will handle everything from initial installation to energy efficiency diagnostics and the proposal of upgrades for aging equipment. This model mirrors that of rival LG Electronics, which operates a similar business through its subsidiary, Hi-M Solutek.
While the South Korean mechanical equipment inspection market is currently valued at only 70 billion KRW--a fraction of the 28 trillion KRW construction market--it is viewed as a high-growth sector. New environmental regulations and stricter legal inspection requirements are expected to drive a surge in demand for the replacement and upgrading of aging HVAC systems.
The growth of data centers and semiconductor cleanrooms is another critical driver. In these environments, precise control of temperature, humidity, and air purity is vital for productivity, making uninterrupted operation and meticulous maintenance essential.
The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport also plans to strengthen the management of mechanical equipment data to improve energy efficiency nationwide. Industry insiders suggest that while FlaktGroup focuses on large-scale industrial HVAC solutions, Samsung Electronics Logitec will manage the “downstream” value chain, including installation and long-term maintenance. Supporting this shift, the logistics firm has been aggressively hiring HVAC maintenance specialists since the beginning of the year.
A Samsung Electronics representative stated that the move is part of an effort to “strengthen HVAC capabilities,” though they noted it remains a separate initiative from the establishment of FlaktGroup's local entity.
