Emerson Electric

Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The Fortune 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.
Emerson has approximately 86,700 employees and 170 manufacturing locations.
History
Emerson was established in 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri, as Emerson Electric Manufacturing Co. by Civil War Union veteran John Wesley Emerson to manufacture electric motors using a patent owned by the Scottish-born brothers Charles and Alexander Meston. In 1892, it became the first to sell electric fans in the United States. It quickly expanded its product line to include electric sewing machines, electric dental drills, and power tools.
During World War II, under the leadership of Stuart Symington, Emerson became the world's largest manufacturer of airplane armament. Emerson ranked 52nd among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.
In 1954, W.R. "Buck" Persons was named company president. Under his leadership, Emerson diversified it's business by acquiring 36 companies. When he retired in 1973, the company had 82 plants, 31,000 employees, and $800 million in sales.
In 1962, it acquired the United States Electrical Manufacturing Company as the U.S. Electrical Motors Division, including the brand U.S. Motors. In 1968, it acquired the InSinkErator company.
Charles F. Knight served as CEO from 1973 to 2000, and was chairman from 1974 to 2004. His tenure marked the development of a rigorous planning process, new product and technology development, acquisitions and joint ventures, and international growth. David Farr succeeded him as chairman, and was also the CEO until 2021.
On December 15, 1999, Emerson Electric agreed to acquire Jordan Industries Inc.'s telecommunications equipment business for $440 million.
In 2010, the U.S. Motors brand was sold to Nidec Motor Corporation.
On July 26, 2011, Emerson announced it would locate its Latin America headquarters in Sunrise, Florida.
On December 1, 2016, Platinum Equity acquired the Emerson Network Power business for over $4 billion and rebranded it Vertiv. The acquisition included the brands ASCO, Chloride, Liebert, NetSure, and Trellis.
In July 2018, Emerson completed the purchase of Textron Tools and Test Businesses for $810 million (Including Greenlee, Klauke, HD Electric, and Sherman + Reilly).
On April 1, 2020, Emerson acquired American Governor Company to boost its presence in the hydropower control systems market.
In October 2022, Emerson agreed to sell a 55 percent majority stake in its climate technologies business to private equity firm Blackstone Inc. in a $14billion deal, including debt.
Following a nearly year-long negotiation, in April 2023, Emerson agreed to acquire National Instruments in an all-cash deal worth $8.2billion to further its automation business.
Products
Emerson Electric produces the AN/APQ series of avionics
AN/APG-69
AN/APQ-157
AN/APQ-159
Corporate
The company's leaders since the mid-20th century have been, respectively, W. R. Persons (19541973; President), Charles Knight (19732000, CEO), and David Farr (20002021, CEO). The company's chair of the board have been Charles Knight (19742004), and David Farr (20042021). Jim Turley is the current Chair of the Board.
Emerson is structured into two business units: automation; and commercial and residential.
Environmental records
In 2008 (using data from 2005), researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst identified Emerson as the 97th largest corporate producer of air pollution in the United States, down from its previous rank of 56th. Major pollutants indicated by the study include nickel compounds, manganese, diisocyanate, and lead.
Corporate relationships
Emerson's brands acquisitions
On December 22, 2014, Emerson announced the acquisition of Scotland-based Cascade Technologies Ltd., expanding their gas-analysis portfolio with laser-based measurement analyzers and systems for enhanced industrial emissions monitoring, production efficiencies, and regulatory compliance. Other main Emerson acquisitions and brands include:
Advanced Protection Technologies
AgileOps
AMS Suite
American Governor Company
Aperture
APM Automation Solutions
Alco Controls
Appleton Group (formerly EGS Electrical Group)
Artesyn (spun off on Jan 2014)
ASCO International (sold to Schneider Electric in 2017)
ASCO Numatics
Astec (spun off on Jan 2014)
Aventics
Avocent
Avtron Loadbank
Bettis
Branson
Bristol Babcock
Cascade Technologies Ltd
Chloride Group
Chromalox (sold to JPMorgan Partners in 2003)
Closet Maid (sold to Griffon Corp in late 2017)
Control Products
Control Techniques (sold to Nidec in early 2017)
Cooper-Atkins
Copeland
CSI Technologies
DeltaV
Dixell
Electronic Navigation Industries
Enardo LLC
Energy Systems
Firetrol
Fisher Regulators
Fisher Valves & Instruments
Flexim
Fusite
GeoFields
Greenlee
Groveley Detection Ltd
InSinkErator
Intelligent Store
Islatrol
Knurr (a business of Vertiv now)
Leroy-Somer (sold to Nidec in early 2017)
Liebert (a business of Vertiv now)
METCO
Metro (InterMetro Industries)
Micro Motion
Mimic
Mobrey
National Instruments
Open Systems International (pending sale late 2020)
Ovation
Paine Electronics
Paradig
Penberthy
Pentair Valves & Controls
Permasense
Plantweb Optics
Power Transmission Solutions
Progea Group
ProSys, Inc.
ProTeam
Pryne & Co., Inc.
Ridgid (Ridge Tool Company)
Rosemount
Rosemount Analytical
Roxar
Saab Marine Electronics
Sensi
Spence and Nicholson
SSB Wind Systems (sold to Nidec in early 2017)
Surge Protection
Syncade
TopWorx
Tescom
Therm-O-Disc
Universal Western Electric Co. (1960)
Verdant
Vilter
White-Rodgers
WORKSHOP
Zedi
NBC Heroes lawsuit
On October 2, 2006, Emerson filed suit in federal court against NBC regarding a scene that appeared in the pilot episode of the network's TV series Heroes. The scene depicted Claire Bennet reaching into an active garbage disposal, severely injuring her hand. Emerson's suit claims the scene "casts the disposer in an unsavory light, irreparably tarnishing the product" by suggesting that serious injuries will result "in the event consumers were to accidentally insert their hand into one."
Emerson asked for a ruling barring future broadcasts of the pilot and to block NBC from using any Emerson trademarks in the future.
On February 23, 2007, the case was dropped. NBC Universal and Emerson Electric settled the lawsuit outside of court.
References
External links
1890 establishments in Missouri
American companies established in 1890
Companies based in St. Louis County, Missouri
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Electric motor manufacturers
Electrical engineering companies of the United States
Electronics companies established in 1890
Electronics companies of the United States
Manufacturing companies based in Missouri
Multinational companies headquartered in the United States
Power tool manufacturers
Tool manufacturing companies of the United States