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Johnson Controls history
Johnson Controls company history timeline
The company was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI.“
In 1885, Warren Johnson inspired the future, launching an industry focused on energy efficiency and a company poised to explore new ideas and enter new fields.
At Johnson Controls, we’ve been making buildings smarter since 1885, and our capabilities, depth of innovation experience, and global reach have been growing ever since.
Johnson and a group of Milwaukee investors led by William Plankinton incorporated the Johnson Electric Service Company in 1885 to manufacture, install and service automatic temperature regulation systems for buildings.
1895: The company builds its first tower clock for the Minneapolis courthouse.
The company purchases US$1.65 billion from woman- and minority-owned suppliers and is Walmart’s “Automotive Supplier of the Year.” The American Society of Mechanical Engineers names the 1895 temperature control system a “mechanical engineering landmark.”
1902: Company's name is changed to Johnson Service Company.
Founded in 1911 as Globe Electric, the company had invented the thin-wall, high-strength polypropylene battery case, a universally recognized breakthrough in battery design.
1912: Following Johnson's death, Harry W. Ellis is elected president and sells all the firm's operations except for the controls business.
Joseph Cutler, who started with Johnson Service Company as a sales engineer in 1912, becomes president.
1940: Johnson Service goes public with an over-the-counter listing on the NASDAQ system.
1956: Company begins building and installing pneumatic control centers.
1964: First foreign manufacturing plant is built in Italy.
1972: Johnson introduces the JC/80, the first minicomputer system that manages building controls.
The company was renamed Johnson Controls in 1974.
1978: To diversify, the company merges with Globe-Union Inc., the nation's largest maker of automotive batteries.
In 1978, Johnson Controls acquired battery company Globe-Union.
In 1985, Johnson Controls acquired automotive seating companies Hoover Universal and Ferro Manufacturing.
1989: Pan Am World Services, Inc., provider of facility management services for military bases, airports, and space centers, is acquired.
1990: Metasys facility management system is introduced.
1995: Johnson acquires Roth Frères SA, a French supplier of automotive seating and interior systems.
1996: Company pays $1.3 billion for Holland, Michigan-based Prince Automotive, supplier of automotive interior systems and components.
1997: Plastic container division is sold to a unit of Viag Group AG for about $650 million.
1998: Johnson acquires Becker Group, Inc., a supplier of interior systems in both North America and Europe.
2001: France-based automotive electronics supplier Sagem SA is acquired.
2002: Johnson purchases the automotive battery business of Germany's Varta AG.
The Johnson Controls plant in Lakeshore, Ontario, closed in late March 2010 and the property was sold.
In 2013, Stephen Roell retired and Alex Molinaroli took his position as CEO and chairman of the board.
In January 2016, Johnson Controls merged with Tyco International to create a new company called Johnson Controls International plc.
On 31 October 2016, the former Johnson Controls Automotive Experience division was spun off as a separate, publicly traded company, Adient, and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
In March 2017, it was announced that Scott Safety, its safety gear business, would be bought by 3M for $2 billion.
On 1 September 2017, George Oliver was appointed as Chairman and CEO, an acceleration by 6 months from the original plans.
On 12 May 2021, Johnson Controls completed the acquisition of Silent-Aire. (Silent-Aire was a Canadian firm that specialized in data center cooling systems.
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Johnson Controls competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowserve | 1997 | $4.6B | 17,000 | 244 |
| York | 1874 | $2.4B | 8,000 | 39 |
| GE Appliances | 1905 | $2.6B | 6,000 | 308 |
| Osram Sylvania | 1993 | $3.3B | 11,200 | - |
| Xylem | 2008 | $8.6B | 17,000 | 572 |
| ENTEK International | 1984 | $300.0M | 200 | 34 |
| ASO | 1986 | $46.8M | 200 | 3 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America | 1979 | $431.1M | 1,000 | 152 |
| Appvion | 1907 | $650.0M | 1,402 | 45 |
| Glatfelter | 1864 | $1.7B | 1,100 | 45 |
Johnson Controls history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Johnson Controls, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Johnson Controls. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Johnson Controls. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Johnson Controls. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Johnson Controls and its employees or that of Zippia.
Johnson Controls may also be known as or be related to J D M International, Inc., Johnson Controls, Johnson Controls (S) Pte Ltd., Johnson Controls Inc, Johnson Controls Inc. and Johnson Controls International PLC.