COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 333999

All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery

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

15companies1874–1980founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedSchindler Holding AG
1874
FoundedAlfa Laval AB
1883
FoundedJohnson Matthey PLC
1891
FoundedAnritsu Corporation
1895
FoundedTB Wood's Corporation
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedCLARCOR Inc.
1904
FoundedCUNO Incorporated
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedDonaldson Company, Inc.
1918
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedHitachi Zosen Corporation
1934
FoundedNordson Corporation
1935
FoundedSmith International, Inc.
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedPall Corporation
1946
FoundedCohu, Inc.FoundedKörber AG
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedFlow International Corporation
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
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.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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…
Alfa Laval AB →
Active · founded 1883 · Sweden
Alfa Laval AB operates as a leader in the heat transfer, centrifugal separation, and fluid handling industries.
Johnson Matthey PLC →
Active · founded 1891 · United Kingdom
Johnson Matthey PLC has been involved in the processing and marketing of precious metals since its founding in 1817.
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
TB Wood's Corporation is a leading innovator, designer, manufacturer, and marketer of electronic and mechanical…
CLARCOR Inc. →
Active · founded 1904
CLARCOR Inc.
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…
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,…
Smith International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
Smith International, Inc.
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.
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…
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