D Industries Inc history

In 1957, Florence Stove sold its manufacturing facility in Florence, Massachusetts, and transferred production to Illinois, then purchased the inventories of finished products, receivables, and all capital stock of Geo.

D. Roper Corp. in 1958.

D. Roper Corporation corporate title was retained for several years until Roper Corporation was adopted as the company's new name in April 1968, by which time the gas stove manufacturing business originally founded by George Roper was rapidly approaching the $200-million-a-year sales mark.

During Roper Corporation's rise as a major supplier to Sears, the Georgia-based pump works--Roper Pump Company--operated as a public company until 1981, when a leveraged buyout transferred ownership of the company to private hands.

1990: The company acquires Amot Controls Corporation, a manufacturer of valves, switches, and sensors.

1992: Roper Industries becomes a public company.

When shipments to Gazprom began in April 1993, however, expectations were high and largely substantiated by the year's end.

1996: The company acquires Gatan International, a manufacturer of electron microscopy control systems.

By December 1997, president Derrick Key announced that Gazprom would need to secure substantial funds by the middle of 1998, otherwise Roper would reduce its business or abandon the deal altogether. As a result, Roper canceled a $12 million shipment to Gazprom in October 1997.

Announces the Signing of a Letter of Intent for Its Largest Acquisition to Date," PR Newswire, July 28, 1998, http://www.elibrary.com. "Roper Industries, Inc.

In the first quarter of 2002, Roper's analytical instrumentation segment had grown to net sales of $82 million.