Meritor history

Arvin traces its roots to an Indiana partnership formed in 1919 to produce tire pumps.

In 1920 Arvin, who had applied for patents for his heater but lacked the capital to manufacture it, offered his product to Indianapolis Air Pump. As a result, the Arvin Heater Company was formed in 1920 with Arvin, Noblitt, Sparks, and Redmond becoming sole stockholders.

1921: Indianapolis Air Pump is incorporated as Indianapolis Pump and Tube Company.

In the spring of 1922 Ford Motor Company informed Sparks that it was planning to manufacture its own tire pumps, and soon afterward Redmond sold his interest in Indianapolis Pump and Tube to his two partners.

With sales expanding, in 1923 the company constructed its first new factory in Greenwood, Indiana, and closed its manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis.

In response, it began diversification efforts and in 1924 introduced a new foot accelerator pedal for automobiles and a cast-iron heater for Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge vehicles.

In 1925 the company separated its heater business from its tube operations and established a plant in Columbus to produce metal heaters, cast-iron manifold heaters, and a new product, automobile jacks.

In 1928 Noblitt-Sparks installed its first nickel-plating units in its Columbus plant and began producing additional automotive parts, including brake levers, hub caps, and bent steel tubing.

The stock market crash of October 1929 had little initial effect on the company's sales, which swelled to nearly $5 million by the end of that year.

Capitalizing on its work with heaters, in 1930 the company developed a fan-forced electric room heater and moved into the arena of household products.

By 1931 Noblitt-Sparks began to feel the effects of the Great Depression.

In 1933 Noblitt-Sparks entered the car radio field, and two years later the first Arvin home radio was introduced.

In 1934 the company purchased facilities in Franklin, Indiana, and the following year began manufacturing automobile parts there.

With product lines expanding, total annual sales topped the $10 million mark for the first time in 1937.

In 1938 recessionary conditions developed, and Noblitt-Sparks reduced its line of radios to nine popular table models.

In 1940 the company also began supplying Sears, Roebuck & Co. with home radios.

In 1941 Noblitt-Sparks began producing its first private-brand merchandise.

In 1944 the company purchased a former furniture plant in North Vernon, Indiana, and began producing boxes for the bombs being made at its Columbus plant.

To facilitate its re-entry into civilian markets, in 1946 Noblitt-Sparks began a three-year factory expansion program.

Late in 1949 Noblitt-Sparks began production of its first television set.

In 1950 the company changed its name to Arvin Industries, Inc., in order to take advantage of the "Arvin" name, which by that time was on numerous company products.

Arvin introduced a color television set in 1954, but a year later the company bowed out of the television business after deciding there was too little profit margin in the field.

In 1960 Eldo H. Stonecipher became president, while Thompson remained chairman.

In 1962 Arvin entered the advance electronics field by acquiring Westgate Laboratory, Inc. (renamed Arvin Systems, Inc.), an original design and development corporation specializing in electronics, optics, and communications.

North American Aviation’s reputation was damaged by the Apollo space capsule disaster of January 1967 and was soon threatened with bankruptcy.

In 1972 Arvin bought General Tubes Limited of Toronto (later renamed Arvin North American Automotive of Canada), a manufacturer of automotive tubing and aftermarket exhaust pipes.

In 1973 the company also sold its Hong Kong production facility and consolidated radio manufacturing operations in Taiwan.

After 15 years of engineering work in the area of automobile emission controls, Arvin produced its first catalytic converter in 1974.

In 1980 Arvin's Calspan won a three-year, $95.6 million United States Air Force contract to manage wind tunnel facilities in Tennessee.

In 1984 Arvin and Bosal International of Germany formed the joint venture Bosal Industries, GmbH to supply catalytic converters and tubular products to the European market.

In 1987 Loren K. Evans was elected president of Arvin.

Arvin's tire valve product line was also expanded in 1988 when Schrader Automotive and Neotech Industries, Inc. (renamed Sentronics Ltd.) agreed to jointly develop and distribute electronic pressure measurement devices.

In 1989 the company’s sales surpassed the $1.5 billion mark for the first time, having grown nearly fourfold during the course of the decade.

In 1990 Arvin-Tubemakers Pty.

Parent, Tawn, “Fortune 500s Share Secrets of the Far East,” Indianapolis Business Journal, November 30, 1992, p.1A.

Named Kayaba Arvin S.A., the combined company planned to launch production in 1997.