• American Standard Water Heaters are manufactured using brand name licensing rights originating from the sell-off era of American Standard by Kelso & Company in 1996 and the eventual American Standard Brands breakup of its three divisions and sale to Bain Capital, and then to Sun Capital and LIXIL in 2007. The American Standard HVAC division (which had acquired Trane in 1984) was renamed to and became known as Trane at the end of this period.
  
• In December of 2000, American Standard (Trane) signed a definitive agreement to sell its Calorex water heater business to Latin American company Grupo Industrial Saltillo S.A. de C.V. for $68 million. The sale included Calorex's commercial and residential water heater product line and its factory in Ixtapalapa, Mexico. The employees became part of GIS' building products division. Under a trademark license agreement, the Calorex water heaters could be sold in the United States and Canada under the American Standard brand name and trademark. The License granted Calentadores “and its Affiliates an exclusive license to use” the American Standard trademark in connection with the “marketing, distribution, and sale” of Trane's water heaters.
• In 2017 it was reported that Rheem had entered into agreement with Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS) to purchase subsidiaries Calentadores de America, S.A. de C.V. (Calorex), Fluida, S.A. de C.V. (Cifunsa), and Water Heating Technologies Corp. (American Standard Water Heaters). Other than the media announcement, all research indicates this agreement was never finalized, and the transaction may not have completed; however, this information is not confirmed.
• In April 2019, Ariston Holdings (also known as Ariston Thermo or Ariston USA) acquired the American Standard brand from Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS) when GIS sells all but 2 shares of its water heating solutions subsidiary Calorex (and all other water heater subsidiaries previously announced in the 2017 Rheem agreement) to Ariston Thermo.
• In May of 2019, Trane (formerly American Standard HVAC division) filed suit against Calentadores de America, S.A. de C.V. (Calorex) and Ariston Thermo Mexico for trademark infringement and breach of a trademark license agreement. A 2014 amendment to the License (issued in 2000) recognized that Calentadores was the successor to the licensee who executed the License in 2000, and expanded the territory covered by the License. The License contained a non-assignment provision stating that “no right or obligation” under the License “shall be assigned, transferred, sublicensed, or otherwise disposed of” without Trane's written consent. Additionally, pursuant to the License, Calentadores agreed “that it will not use and will cause its Affiliates or Sublicensees not to use” the American Standard trademark “in close proximity to or in association with any other mark not licensed hereunder.”  At that time, Ariston Group's website listed all the brands within its portfolio, including American Standard. Trane alleged that Ariston Thermo Mexico's acquisition of Calentadores automatically transferred Calentadores's rights under the License to Ariston Thermo Mexico, thereby breaching the License's non-assignment provision. Ultimately the suit was dismissed by the court essentially finding that Ariston Group are parent companies of Calentadores, which Trane has licensed to market and distribute American Standard water heaters, and found no breach of agreement or trademark infringement. Interestingly enough, Ariston no longer includes "American Standard" trademarks on the Ariston Group websites. Similarly, The Amercian Standard Water Heater website makes no readily apparent reference to Ariston, except that the American Standard Water Heater corporate mailing address is identical to Ariston USA corporate address. Additionally, the American Standard Water Heater website is a standalone site which makes no reference to the American Standard brand bath and kitchen products. And similarly, American Standard website for Bath and Kitchen products makes no reference to water heater product offerings under the same name. American Standard Bath and Kitchen products, and American Standard Water Heaters are entirely two separate companies related only by legally operating with the same Trademarked brand namesake.

_{¹Excerpts from various industry sources and research}