COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 333999

All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

28companies1874–1980founding years26still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedSchindler Holding AGFoundedSchindler Holding AG
1874
FoundedAlfa Laval AB
1883
FoundedAnritsu Corporation
1895
FoundedTB Wood's CorporationFoundedTB Wood's Corporation
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedCLARCOR Inc.
1904
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
FoundedCUNO Incorporated
1912
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedDonaldson Company, Inc.
1918
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedHitachi Zosen CorporationFoundedHitachi Zosen Corporation
1934
FoundedNordson Corporation
1935
FoundedSmith International, Inc.
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
FoundedPall CorporationFoundedPall Corporation
1946
FoundedCohu, Inc.FoundedKörber AG
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
FoundedFlow International Corporation
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Schindler Holding AG →
Active · founded 1874 · Switzerland
Through its numerous subsidiaries, Schindler Holding AG is Europe's top supplier of elevators and escalators and ranks…
Schindler Holding AG →
Active · founded 1874 · Switzerland
Through its numerous subsidiaries, Schindler Holding AG is Europe's top supplier of elevators and escalators and ranks…
Alfa Laval AB →
Active · founded 1883 · Sweden
Alfa Laval AB operates as a leader in the heat transfer, centrifugal separation, and fluid handling industries.
Alfa Laval AB →
Active · founded 1883 · Sweden
Alfa Laval AB operates as a leader in the heat transfer, centrifugal separation, and fluid handling industries.
Anritsu Corporation →
Active · founded 1895 · Japan
Anritsu Corporation is a leading global producer of test and measurement devices, equipment, and systems.
Anritsu Corporation →
Active · founded 1895 · Japan
Anritsu Corporation is a leading global producer of test and measurement devices, equipment, and systems.
TB Wood's Corporation →
Active · founded 1897
1950s:The company markets its mechanical variable speed-belted drives and its new Sure-Flex coupling product.
TB Wood's Corporation →
Active · founded 1897
1950s:The company markets its mechanical variable speed-belted drives and its new Sure-Flex coupling product.
CLARCOR Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1904
CLARCOR Inc.
CLARCOR Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1904
CLARCOR Inc.
CUNO Incorporated →
Active · founded 1912
CUNO Incorporated designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of general filtration, microfiltration, and…
CUNO Incorporated →
Active · founded 1912
CUNO Incorporated designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of general filtration, microfiltration, and…
Donaldson Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1918
Early 1970s:Company diversifies through the acquisitions of Torit Corp., Majac, Inc., and Kittell Muffler and…
Donaldson Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1918
Early 1970s:Company diversifies through the acquisitions of Torit Corp., Majac, Inc., and Kittell Muffler and…
Hitachi Zosen Corporation →
Active · founded 1934 · Japan
Hitachi Zosen Corporation operates as one of Japan's largest heavy industrial machinery firms.
Hitachi Zosen Corporation →
Active · founded 1934 · Japan
Hitachi Zosen Corporation operates as one of Japan's largest heavy industrial machinery firms.
Nordson Corporation →
Active · founded 1935
Nordson Corporation is a leading manufacturer of precision dispensing equipment that apply liquid and powder coatings,…
Nordson Corporation →
Active · founded 1935
Nordson Corporation is a leading manufacturer of precision dispensing equipment that apply liquid and powder coatings,…
Smith International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
1920s:Smith's company, now known as H.C.
Smith International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
1920s:Smith's company, now known as H.C.
Pall Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
Pall Corporation is the largest manufacturer of filtration, separation, and purification products in the world.
Pall Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
Pall Corporation is the largest manufacturer of filtration, separation, and purification products in the world.
Cohu, Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
Cohu, Inc.
Cohu, Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
Cohu, Inc.
Körber AG →
Active · founded 1947 · Germany
Körber AG is the holding company for a diversified machinery manufacturer based in Hamburg, Germany, with 30 production…
Körber AG →
Active · founded 1947 · Germany
Körber AG is the holding company for a diversified machinery manufacturer based in Hamburg, Germany, with 30 production…
Flow International Corporation →
Active · founded 1980
Flow International Corporation, an industry pioneer, designs and manufactures cutting and cleaning systems that use…
Flow International Corporation →
Active · founded 1980
Flow International Corporation, an industry pioneer, designs and manufactures cutting and cleaning systems that use…
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