Standard Electric Time Company
Encyclopedia
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
company founded in 1884, and was a manufacturer of synchronized clock systems and fire alarm systems. They were the oldest manufacturer of electric clocks in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The company was acquired by Johnson Controls in 1970 and then Faraday in 1978.
In 1981, Faraday announced the company would be moving to Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
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History
The company was originally founded in Waterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
by Charles Warner, the pioneer of the electric clock. The company was later moved to Springfield in 1911. Standard quickly became known for its electric clock systems, which were often installed in schools, universities, and other public buildings. These systems consisted of a master clock, which then controlled all secondary clocks. Like many companies during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Standard suffered from financial difficulties throughout the 1930s. In the 1940s during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Standard products were used in many defense projects. In 1950, Standard made a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) addition onto their Springfield plant, and introduced several new product lines, such as fire alarm systems, fluid analyzer systems, and nurse call systems for use in hospitals. In 1970, it was announced that the company would be sold to Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls
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....
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. In 1978, Johnson Controls sold Standard Electric Time to Faraday
Faraday (company)
Faraday is a Florham Park, New Jersey company that specializes in fire protection systems.-History:Faraday was founded in 1875 in Brooklyn, New York. In the early 1900s, the company was owned by Stanley & Patterson, an electrical supplies conglomerate. Around this time, Faraday began producing...
. In 1981, Faraday announced the company would be moving to Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
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