Johnson Controls
Encyclopedia
Johnson Controls, Inc. is a company, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, USA. It was founded in 1885 by professor Warren S. Johnson, inventor of the first electric room thermostat
.
It is a Fortune 500
diversified, multi-industrial company
with 142,000 employees in 1,300 locations across six continents.
in Whitewater, Wisconsin
, received a patent for the first electric room thermostat. His invention helped launch the building control industry and was the impetus for a new company.
Johnson and a group of Milwaukee investors incorporated the Johnson Electric Service Company in 1885 to manufacture, install and service automatic temperature regulation systems for buildings. The company was renamed Johnson Controls in 1974.
Between 1885 and 1911, Professor Johnson delved into many other areas, including electric storage batteries, steam and gas powered automobiles, huge pneumatic
clock towers and wireless telegraph
communication. But at his death in 1911, the company decided to focus solely on its temperature control business for nonresidential buildings.
Johnson Controls continued to develop new control technologies to help customers better manage their increasingly larger and more complex buildings. By the 1950s, for example, it was common for a large building to have hundreds of thermostats, valves, dampers and other temperature control devices installed throughout the facility, all of which had to be individually checked several times a day. To improve the efficiency of building operations staff, Johnson Controls introduced the Pneumatic Control Center, which allowed for monitoring and operating all the temperature control devices in a facility from a single point.
Johnson Controls has continued to develop new technologies. In 1972, it introduced the JC80, a minicomputer
dedicated to building control. In the 1980s, Johnson Controls adopted digital control technology with its JC85, providing faster and more precise control of building systems. In the 1990s, the company pioneered open communication protocols to allow control devices from various manufacturers to share data directly. Its latest control system is the Metasys Facilities Management System.
Servicing management systems in commercial buildings is another business area for Johnson Controls. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the company expanded its services to cover mechanical and electrical equipment. The company created Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) to give customers a single source for operations and maintenance of all building systems and functions, and to ensure maximum building efficiency and reliability. Johnson Controls now provides full-time, on-site IFM staff for more than 600000000 square feet (55,741,824 m²) of building space around the world.
In 1978, Johnson Controls acquired Globe-Union, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of automotive batteries
for both the replacement and original equipment markets. Today, Johnson Controls is the largest producer of private-label lead-acid automotive batteries in North America, and is spreading its leadership to Asia and South America. Johnson Controls manufactures automotive batteries under the Optima, Varta, LTH and Heliar brands, as well as many private-labeled brands. The company also makes batteries for emergency power back-up and telecommunication applications.
Johnson Controls entered the automotive seating
and plastics machinery industries in 1985 with the acquisition of Michigan-based Hoover Universal, Inc. Hoover started making components for automotive seats in the mid-1960s. At the time, the seating business primarily manufactured individual components, like frames, tracks or cushions, according to the automakers' specifications.
Today the company has become the world's largest manufacturer of complete seats, with manufacturing plants on five continents.
In 1982, Johnson Controls enacted a fetal protection policy. This policy denied women the right to work on the battery production line because of the potential harm to a fetus
they may conceive. Women were only allowed to work on the production line if they could prove that "...their inability to bear children had been medically documented." In April 1984, the United Auto Workers
sued Johnson Controls on behalf of three employees. These employees were Mary Craig, who had chosen to be sterilized to avoid losing her job, Elsie Nason, a 50-year-old divorcee, who had suffered a loss of compensation when she was transferred from a high paying job that exposed her to lead, and Donald Penney, who had been denied a request for a leave of absence
for the purpose of lowering his blood lead levels because he intended to become a father. This case was argued before the Supreme Court
on October 10, 1990 and was decided on March 20, 1991. Justice Blackmun
wrote the opinion for the court and Justices Marshall
, Stevens
, O'Connor
, and Souter
joined. Justice White
filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justices Rehnquist
and Kennedy
joined. Justice Scalia
filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. The Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. This ruling was a landmark ruling because it affirmed that "...it is no more important for the courts than it is for individual employers to decide whether a woman's reproductive role is more important to herself and her family than her economic role."
Over the last decade, Johnson Controls has also developed comprehensive research, development, design, engineering and testing capabilities. This broad expertise is giving automakers and consumers seat systems with improved comfort, safety and technology.
Johnson Controls expanded its presence within cars and light trucks in the early 1990s by offering interior components such as headliner
s and door trim. It strengthened its position in interior systems through the 1996 acquisition of Prince Automotive.
Prince is known for its innovation, having introduced the first lighted vanity mirror in a car in 1972. With Price, Johnson Controls can provide all aspects of a complete car interior, including overhead systems, floor consoles door systems, instrument panels and seat systems.
to provide commercial property management services in Canada. It was established in 1990.
Varta
has established a JCS development centre at its German HQ, following the setting-up of Varta-SAFT joint venture.
Johnson Controls is exhibiting a plug-in hybrid concept called the re3, which embodies the technologies that the company can offer to automakers. Johnson Controls is producing cells for lithium-ion hybrid vehicle batteries in France under the joint venture with Saft. Battery assemblies are developed and produced in Hannover(Germany) and Milwaukee(USA)
On the other hand, Johnson Controls has taken an equity stake in Azure Dynamics
.
The company provides facilities management services to Hewlett-Packard worldwide, including office services, HVAC, landscaping, security and general maintenance. The contract renewal bid was lost to a competitor, whose name has not been released. The current contract expires December 21, 2010.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, USA. It was founded in 1885 by professor Warren S. Johnson, inventor of the first electric room thermostat
Thermostat
A thermostat is the component of a control system which regulates the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint temperature. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a heat transfer...
.
It is a Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
diversified, multi-industrial company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
with 142,000 employees in 1,300 locations across six continents.
Business Units
Johnson Controls operates three business units: Automotive Experience, Building Efficiency and Power Solutions.History
In 1883, Warren S. Johnson, a professor at the State Normal SchoolUniversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater
The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater is part of the University of Wisconsin System, located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It became Wisconsin's second public college on April 21, 1868 when it opened its doors to 39 students taught by nine faculty members...
in Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater is a city in Jefferson and Walworth Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.-Geography:...
, received a patent for the first electric room thermostat. His invention helped launch the building control industry and was the impetus for a new company.
Johnson and a group of Milwaukee investors incorporated the Johnson Electric Service Company in 1885 to manufacture, install and service automatic temperature regulation systems for buildings. The company was renamed Johnson Controls in 1974.
Between 1885 and 1911, Professor Johnson delved into many other areas, including electric storage batteries, steam and gas powered automobiles, huge pneumatic
Pneumatics
Pneumatics is a branch of technology, which deals with the study and application of use of pressurized gas to effect mechanical motion.Pneumatic systems are extensively used in industry, where factories are commonly plumbed with compressed air or compressed inert gases...
clock towers and wireless telegraph
Wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy is a historical term used today to apply to early radio telegraph communications techniques and practices, particularly those used during the first three decades of radio before the term radio came into use....
communication. But at his death in 1911, the company decided to focus solely on its temperature control business for nonresidential buildings.
Johnson Controls continued to develop new control technologies to help customers better manage their increasingly larger and more complex buildings. By the 1950s, for example, it was common for a large building to have hundreds of thermostats, valves, dampers and other temperature control devices installed throughout the facility, all of which had to be individually checked several times a day. To improve the efficiency of building operations staff, Johnson Controls introduced the Pneumatic Control Center, which allowed for monitoring and operating all the temperature control devices in a facility from a single point.
Johnson Controls has continued to develop new technologies. In 1972, it introduced the JC80, a minicomputer
Minicomputer
A minicomputer is a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the largest multi-user systems and the smallest single-user systems...
dedicated to building control. In the 1980s, Johnson Controls adopted digital control technology with its JC85, providing faster and more precise control of building systems. In the 1990s, the company pioneered open communication protocols to allow control devices from various manufacturers to share data directly. Its latest control system is the Metasys Facilities Management System.
Servicing management systems in commercial buildings is another business area for Johnson Controls. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the company expanded its services to cover mechanical and electrical equipment. The company created Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) to give customers a single source for operations and maintenance of all building systems and functions, and to ensure maximum building efficiency and reliability. Johnson Controls now provides full-time, on-site IFM staff for more than 600000000 square feet (55,741,824 m²) of building space around the world.
In 1978, Johnson Controls acquired Globe-Union, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of automotive batteries
Car battery
An automotive battery is a type of rechargeable battery that supplies electric energy to an automobile. Usually this refers to an SLI battery to power the starter motor, the lights, and the ignition system of a vehicle’s engine...
for both the replacement and original equipment markets. Today, Johnson Controls is the largest producer of private-label lead-acid automotive batteries in North America, and is spreading its leadership to Asia and South America. Johnson Controls manufactures automotive batteries under the Optima, Varta, LTH and Heliar brands, as well as many private-labeled brands. The company also makes batteries for emergency power back-up and telecommunication applications.
Johnson Controls entered the automotive seating
Car seat
A car seat is the chair used in automobiles. Most car seats are made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand as much use as possible.-Ergonomy: Lumbar and thigh support:...
and plastics machinery industries in 1985 with the acquisition of Michigan-based Hoover Universal, Inc. Hoover started making components for automotive seats in the mid-1960s. At the time, the seating business primarily manufactured individual components, like frames, tracks or cushions, according to the automakers' specifications.
Today the company has become the world's largest manufacturer of complete seats, with manufacturing plants on five continents.
In 1982, Johnson Controls enacted a fetal protection policy. This policy denied women the right to work on the battery production line because of the potential harm to a fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
they may conceive. Women were only allowed to work on the production line if they could prove that "...their inability to bear children had been medically documented." In April 1984, the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
sued Johnson Controls on behalf of three employees. These employees were Mary Craig, who had chosen to be sterilized to avoid losing her job, Elsie Nason, a 50-year-old divorcee, who had suffered a loss of compensation when she was transferred from a high paying job that exposed her to lead, and Donald Penney, who had been denied a request for a leave of absence
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
for the purpose of lowering his blood lead levels because he intended to become a father. This case was argued before the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
on October 10, 1990 and was decided on March 20, 1991. Justice Blackmun
Harry Blackmun
Harold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
wrote the opinion for the court and Justices Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
, O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
, and Souter
David Souter
David Hackett Souter is a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He served from 1990 until his retirement on June 29, 2009. Appointed by President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat vacated by William J...
joined. Justice White
Byron White
Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justices Rehnquist
William Rehnquist
William Hubbs Rehnquist was an American lawyer, jurist, and political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States...
and Kennedy
Anthony Kennedy
Anthony McLeod Kennedy is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, having been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Since the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, Kennedy has often been the swing vote on many of the Court's politically charged 5–4 decisions...
joined. Justice Scalia
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. The Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. This ruling was a landmark ruling because it affirmed that "...it is no more important for the courts than it is for individual employers to decide whether a woman's reproductive role is more important to herself and her family than her economic role."
Over the last decade, Johnson Controls has also developed comprehensive research, development, design, engineering and testing capabilities. This broad expertise is giving automakers and consumers seat systems with improved comfort, safety and technology.
Johnson Controls expanded its presence within cars and light trucks in the early 1990s by offering interior components such as headliner
Headliner
A headliner is a composite material that is adhered to the inside roof of automobiles or yachts. It typically consists of a face fabric with nonwoven or foam backing. Headliners consist of multilayered composite materials that bring together multiple functionalities, including the requested look,...
s and door trim. It strengthened its position in interior systems through the 1996 acquisition of Prince Automotive.
Prince is known for its innovation, having introduced the first lighted vanity mirror in a car in 1972. With Price, Johnson Controls can provide all aspects of a complete car interior, including overhead systems, floor consoles door systems, instrument panels and seat systems.
The Early Years
- 1885 Johnson Electric Service Company founded
- 1887 Company pays first dividend
- 1902 Name changed to Johnson Service Co.
- 1903 Johnson humidostat specified by Willis Carrier for one of the world's first air conditioning installations—a printing plant in Pennsylvania
- 1910 Opened first European sales offices
- 1940 Johnson Service Co. securities first listed on what is today the NASDAQ exchange
- 1956 Introduced Pneumatic Control Center, enabling centralized monitoring of building conditions for the first time
1950s-1980s
- 1965 Johnson Service Co. securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange
- 1966 Sales exceed $100 million
- 1968 Acquired Penn Controls which produces refrigeration and gas heating controls
- 1968 Became a Fortune 500 company
- 1972 Introduced JC80, the first mini-computer built to control building systems
- 1974 Company renamed Johnson Controls, Inc.
- 1978 Acquired Globe-Union, Inc. and entered automotive battery business
- 1985 Acquired Hoover Universal, the source of its automotive seating and plastics machinery businesses
- 1989 Acquired Pan Am World Services and entered facilities management business; $659 million in sales
1990s
- 1990 Introduced Metasys Facilities Management System
- 1991 Supreme Court Decision Against Johnson Controls
- 1992 $5.2 billion in sales
- 1995 Opened 150th manufacturing plant
- 1996 Made seats for more than eight million new automobiles
- 1996 Selected for Industry Week Magazine's "100 Best Managed Companies in The World" list
- 1996 Acquired Prince Automotive and greatly expanded its automotive interior systems business
- 1996 Sales exceed $10 billion
- 1998 Largest seating supplier in South America
- 1998 Installed 10,000th Metasys facilities management system
- 1998 Acquired Becker Group, European automotive interior supplier
- 1998 Acquired Cardkey integrated security solutions
- 1999 Named GM "Corporation of the Year" out of 30,000 suppliers
- 1999 U.S. EPA Energy Star buildings "Ally of the Year"
- 1999 Winner of Mandela International Award for Good Diversity Practices
2000s
- 2000 Acquired Ikeda Bussan, auto seat supplier (Japan)
- 2000 Introduced new products including Auto Vision, in-vehicle video system
- 2001 Acquisition of Sagem (France), maker of automotive interior electronics
- 2001 Acquisition of Hoppecke, German automotive battery manufacturer
- 2002 Acquired Varta automotive battery division (Germany)
- 2002 Sales exceed $20 billion
- 2003 Acquired Borg Instruments, Germany
- 2003 Exceeded $1 billion in purchases from diverse suppliers; named to Billion Dollar Roundtable
- 2004 Increased dividend for 30th consecutive year
- 2004 Received the World Environment Center's Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development
- 2004 Granted a contract for lithium-ion battery development for the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC)
- 2005 Acquired Cal-Air, a California based mechanical contractor
- 2005 Acquired York International, a global supplier of heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment and services
- 2005 Acquired Delphi's global automotive battery business
- 2005 Named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
- 2006 Hosted President George W. Bush for major energy speech at Building Efficiency headquarters in Milwaukee
- 2006 Sales exceed $30 billion
- 2007 New branding is introduced; "Ingenuity Welcome" becomes the company slogan
- 2007 Steve Roell is named CEO, the company's ninth in 122 years
- 2008 ASME designates the company's 1895 automatic temperature control system as a historical mechanical engineering landmark
- 2009 Was awarded $299.5 million in federal grants to manufacture batteries and other components for electric vehicles in Michigan
- 2009 The worlds highest tower (Burj Khalifa tower) finished by The Johnson Controls team.
- 2010 The biggest hospital (Kalifa Hospital) started by controls team.
Acquisitions
- 1968 - Penn Controls (refrigeration and gas heating controls)
- 1978 - Globe Union Inc (automotive batteries)
- 1985 - Hoover Universal (automotive seating and plastics machinery)
- 1989 - Pan Am World Services (facilities management)
- 1996 - Prince Corporation (automotive interiors and electronics)
- 2000 - Gylling Optima Batteries AB of Sweden (spiral-wound battery technology)
- 2003 - Borg Instruments AG (automotive electronics)
- 2005 - USI Real Estate (office real estate)
- 2005 - York International (air conditioning, heating and refrigerating), $3.2 billion
- 2006 - Environmental Technologies (air conditioning, heating and refrigerating)
- 2007 - Skymark International (air conditioning, heating and refrigerating)
- 2008 - Plastech (injection-molded components and assemblies)
- 2008 - PWI Energy (energy management consulting and software services)
- 2008 - Gridlogix (building automation integration)
- 2010 - National Energy Services, Inc. (lighting services)
- 2011 - C. Rob. Hammerstein GmbH (CRH Group), (automotive seat adjuster manufacturer), To be completed in Feb 2011
- 2011 - Keiper automotive seating from Keiper Recaro group
- 2011 - EnergyConnect Inc. (Demand Response Aggregator)
BLJC
Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls is a joint venture with Brookfield PropertiesBrookfield Properties
Brookfield Office Properties Inc. is a North American commercial real estate company. Brookfield Asset Management owns fifty percent of its outstanding common shares. The company has its headquarters operations in New York City and Toronto...
to provide commercial property management services in Canada. It was established in 1990.
MSKT
Major SKT - MSKT is a joint venture with Diniz Holding in Turkey building automotive seats for major OEMs.Amara Raja Batteries
Amara Raja Batteries of India signed a joint venture with Johnson Controls in December 1997 to manufacture Amaron automotive batteries in India.JCS and Electric Vehicles
Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions (JCS) is a joint venture between Johnson Controls and French battery company Saft Groupe S.A.. It was officially launched in January 2006.Varta
VARTA
VARTA AG was a company based in Germany manufacturing batteries for global automotive, industrial and consumer markets. A sales slogan was "you're smarter to fit Varta!" in the mid 1990s...
has established a JCS development centre at its German HQ, following the setting-up of Varta-SAFT joint venture.
Johnson Controls is exhibiting a plug-in hybrid concept called the re3, which embodies the technologies that the company can offer to automakers. Johnson Controls is producing cells for lithium-ion hybrid vehicle batteries in France under the joint venture with Saft. Battery assemblies are developed and produced in Hannover(Germany) and Milwaukee(USA)
On the other hand, Johnson Controls has taken an equity stake in Azure Dynamics
Azure Dynamics
Azure Dynamics Corporation is incorporated under the laws of Alberta, Canada having been spun out of BC Research Inc. Azure now is headquartered in Oak Park, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit...
.
Closings
It was confirmed on January 22, 2010, that the Johnson Controls plant in Lakeshore, Ontario would close in late March 2010 and the property sold. The plant supplies headliners for Chrysler minivans assembled at the Windsor Assembly Plant in nearby Windsor. The union is hopeful that the remaining workers will be absorbed by Chrysler. They would, theoretically, replace workers who have taken buyouts or left. The Johnson workers recently ratified a three-year contract in November that froze wages, but the company was not able to maintain its Chrysler assigments. It has not been announced where the headliners will be built after Johnson closes, but it is likely the work will move to a nearby Michigan plant that already builds headliners for European minivans.The company provides facilities management services to Hewlett-Packard worldwide, including office services, HVAC, landscaping, security and general maintenance. The contract renewal bid was lost to a competitor, whose name has not been released. The current contract expires December 21, 2010.