General Motors Corporation. Frigidaire Division

Frigidaire began in the 1910s and became part of General Motors in 1919. During its GM years, it developed refrigerators and later expanded into other household appliances, building a strong reputation in the United States for bringing mechanical innovation into the home.

As the Frigidaire Division of General Motors, the business was long associated with Dayton, Ohio. The brand became so familiar that its name helped popularize the everyday word "fridge," a sign of how deeply it entered American culture.

Frigidaire remained under General Motors ownership until 1979. Even after leaving GM, the name continued as a major appliance brand, but its most distinctive historical chapter is the period when it operated as one of GM's divisions.