JCI history

In 1919 the company's new contracts exceeded $1 million.

By 1928 the company's new contracts passed the $4 million mark.

In 1929 Globe Electric and Union Battery consolidated, with Wanvig as president.

Cutler oversaw the first public listing of Johnson's stock, which began trading over-the-counter on the NASDAQ in 1940.

By 1949 the company's sales were $10 million.

1956: Company begins building and installing pneumatic control centers.

To ensure a steady and reliable source of customized control panels for these centers, Johnson purchased a panel-fabrication company in Oklahoma in 1960.

In 1961 the Systems Engineering & Construction Division was established.

In 1962 Johnson, along with its main competitors Honeywell and Powers Regulator, were charged in a federal antitrust suit with price-fixing in the sale of pneumatic temperature control systems.

To improve its in-house electronics capability, the company purchased the electronics division of Fischbach & Moore in 1963.

1964: First foreign manufacturing plant is built in Italy.

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

By 1971 Globe-Union had become the largest United States manufacturer of automotive replacement batteries, with its sales climbing past $100 million that year.

1972: Johnson introduces the JC/80, the first minicomputer system that manages building controls.

The company was renamed Johnson Controls in 1974.

Expanded into Batteries in 1978

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

In the latter part of 1989, Johnson announced a joint venture with Yokogawa Electric Corporation to manufacture control instrumentation and to integrate and service industrial automation systems for the North American market.

1990: Metasys facility management system is introduced.

In mid-1991 Johnson Controls attempted to sell the battery division but could not find a buyer.

1996: Company pays $1.3 billion for Holland, Michigan-based Prince Automotive, supplier of automotive interior systems and components.

In a move to divest a noncore unit and to help pay down additional debt taken on to purchase Becker, Johnson Controls sold its plastics machinery business to Cincinnati Milacron Inc. for about $190 million in September 1998.

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.

2001: France-based automotive electronics supplier Sagem SA is acquired.

2002: Johnson purchases the automotive battery business of Germany's Varta AG.

With its fiscal 2003 results, Johnson Controls had achieved its 57th consecutive year of sales increases (reaching $22.65 billion), its 13th straight year of increased earnings ($682.9 million), and its 28th consecutive year of dividend increases.