In 1936,
a small group of engineers from Emerson Electric were
developing a new kind of control device for use in thermostats,
stacks and other heating ventilation applications based
on hydraulic action.
This group formed Missouri Automatic Controls in 1937
and was later known as White-Rodgers Electric, after principal
engineers, Jim Rodgers and Chesterfield White.
Prior to World War II, White-Rodgers concentrated on
its hydraulic controls. During the war, the major portion
of White-Rodgers manufacturing was diverted to the production
of temperature and pressure controls and servomechanisms
for the Armed Services. White-Rodgers temperature controls
served every theater of the war on Consolidated, Bell,
Douglas and North American aircraft.
After the war, the boom in residential construction and
availability of natural gas for heating caused a broadening
of the line to include domestic space heating equipment,
primary controls for oil burners and controls for domestic
clothes dryers. All military production was discontinued.
Military production resumed during the Korean conflict
and the company's Armament Department made notable contributions
to the military strength of the country. These activities
continued until March, 1957 when the Armament Department
was sold to Universal Match Corporation of St. Louis.
In April, 1956 the company name was changed to White-Rodgers
Company; "Electric" was dropped as it was limited
in defining the company activities. On December 15, 1961
White-Rodgers Company was acquired by Emerson Electric
Co.
In 1987, White-Rodgers became the first U.S. Heating,
Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) manufacturer to
be agency certified to ISO 9001 standards.
Today White-Rodgers operates as a Division of Emerson
Co. and part of Emerson Climate Technologies. White-Rodgers’
headquarters is in St. Louis, Missouri and operates four
manufacturing facilities world wide, employing 2,205 people
and supplying products throughout the world. For more
information on Emerson Climate Technologies, go to
www.gotoemerson.com/brands/cli_tech/index.jsp.
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