Equipment & Controls, Inc. history

Richard J. Murphy was elected company president in 1960, the year the company celebrated its 75th anniversary.

In 1961 the Systems Engineering & Construction Division was established.

Because of its increasing involvement in projects requiring exacting quality standards and high-quality components, Johnson acquired Associated Piping & Engineering Corporation and Western Piping and Engineering Company in 1966.

Fred L. Brengel became the sixth Johnson president in 1967.

The company turned to nonautomotive battery applications in 1972 when it formed an industrial products unit.

The company adopted its present name--Johnson Controls, Inc.--in 1974.

To diversify, the company merged with Globe-Union Inc., the country's largest manufacturer of automotive batteries, in 1978.

Acquisition of Hoover Industrial in 1985

Johnson expanded its plastics business in 1988 by acquiring Apple Container Corporation and the soft drink bottle operations of American National Can Company.

In 1989, meanwhile, Johnson's battery group acquired Varta Ltd., the largest automotive-battery maker in Canada.

In 1991 Johnson acquired several European car seat component manufacturers, furthering its overseas expansion.

The unit was further battered when it lost its contract to supply DieHard batteries to Sears in late 1994.

In December 1995 Johnson spent $175-$200 million for a 75 percent interest in Roth Frères SA, a Strasbourg, France-based major supplier of seating and interior systems to the European auto industry.

For 1996, revenues exceeded the $10 billion mark for the first time.

Meantime, John M. Barth, who had headed up the Automotive Systems Group, was named president and chief operating officer in September 1998, with Keyes remaining chairman and CEO. That month also saw Johnson form two joint ventures to make automotive batteries in Mexico and South America.

During 1999 the Automotive Systems Group began entering into partnerships with a host of electronics firms in order to start integrating electronics into every aspect of vehicle interiors.

Another 2001 purchase was that of MC International, one of the leading providers of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems and services in Europe.

For the fiscal year ending in September 2002, Johnson Controls' revenues surpassed $20 billion for the first time--representing a quadrupling of sales over a ten-year period--and its net income hit a record $600.5 million.