| 1940 |
A. O. Smith enters the electric motor industry with the purchase of Sawyer Electric Manufacturing Co., a maker of small-diameter and small integral horsepower electric motors for use in oil wells.
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| 1947 |
On April 29, the Whirl-A-Way Motor Company of Tipp City, Ohio ships its first 25 electric motors to Sta-Rite Industries of Delavan, Wisconsin. More than 50 years later, Sta-Rite is still our customer.
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| 1950 |
A. O. Smith acquires Whirl-A-Way and consolidates all of its motor operations in Tipp City.
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| 1952 |
Century Electric (now A. O. Smith) builds the first low-cost, high-volume permanent split capacitor motor.
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| 1953 |
A. O. Smith begins work on developing hermetic motors for the air conditioning and commercial refrigeration industries.
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| 1960 |
A. O. Smith introduces the square flange mounting, a concept that becomes a popular alternative to the C-Face motor in the pump industry.
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| 1964 |
To meet the growing demand for hermetic motors, A. O. Smith opens a plant in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.
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| 1965 |
A. O. Smith applies the enclosed-canopy two-compartment motor concept to pool pump motors. The design improves motor reliability by separating the switching components from the motor windings.
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| 1975 |
Century Electric produces the first UL-approved swimming pool motor.
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| 1976 |
A. O. Smith opens its first motor plant outside the United States in Bray, Ireland, to serve commercial compressor customers in Europe and the U. S. with large-horsepower hermetic motors.
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| 1982 |
MagneTek' s Motor Division (now A. O. Smith) introduces the first triple-voltage, factory-wired "quick connect" fractional horsepower three-phase motors.
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| 1983 |
The company introduces the Centurion switchless, permanent split capacitor motors for the swimming pool, spa, and jetted tub industries.
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| 1986 |
A. O. Smith acquires Westinghouse Electric’s Small Motor Division.
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| 1991 |
A. O. Smith develops the first hermetic motor insulation system compatible with R-134a non-ozone-depleting refrigerant.
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| 1992 |
The Bray plant earns ISO-9002 certification.
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| 1995 |
A. O. Smith develops the first hermetic motor insulation systems compatible with ammonia.
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| 1996 |
MagneTek discovers the cause of premature failure in inverter-duty motors, leading to the development of the Speed Engineered � inverter duty line of motors.
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| 1997 |
A. O. Smith acquires UPPCO, Inc., becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of subfractional horsepower C-frame motors.
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| 1998 |
The company acquires General Electric’s domestic hermetic motor operations, becoming North America’s largest manufacturer of hermetic motors.
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| 1998 |
York International makes A. O. Smith its Tier One motor supplier.
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| 1999 |
A. O. Smith acquires the worldwide electric motor operations of MagneTek Inc.
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| 2005 |
A. O. Smith acquires YYZM in YueYang, China. |
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| 2008 |
A. O. Smith introduces new Branding Initiative
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