COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 333995

Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

16companies1910–1968founding years16still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedApplied Power Inc.FoundedApplied Power Inc.
1910
FoundedEaton CorporationFoundedEaton Corporation
1911
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedCurtiss-Wright CorporationFoundedCurtiss-Wright Corporation
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedWhittaker CorporationFoundedWhittaker Corporation
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedStandex International CorporationFoundedStandex International Corporation
1955
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedP & F Industries, Inc.FoundedP & F Industries, Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedA-dec, Inc.FoundedA-dec, Inc.
1966
FoundedRotork plcFoundedRotork plc
1968
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Applied Power Inc. →
Active · founded 1910
Applied Power Inc.
Applied Power Inc. →
Active · founded 1910
Applied Power Inc.
Eaton Corporation →
Active · founded 1911
Eaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer whose operations are divided into four main groups: fluid…
Eaton Corporation →
Active · founded 1911
Eaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer whose operations are divided into four main groups: fluid…
Curtiss-Wright Corporation →
Active · founded 1929
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CWC), built on two of the most esteemed names in American aviation history, has evolved…
Curtiss-Wright Corporation →
Active · founded 1929
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CWC), built on two of the most esteemed names in American aviation history, has evolved…
Whittaker Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Whittaker Corporation, once a $2 billion conglomerate, operates as the parent company of Whittaker Controls Inc.
Whittaker Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Whittaker Corporation, once a $2 billion conglomerate, operates as the parent company of Whittaker Controls Inc.
Standex International Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Standex International Corporation operates as a global multi-industry conglomerate that manufactures over 48,000…
Standex International Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Standex International Corporation operates as a global multi-industry conglomerate that manufactures over 48,000…
P & F Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
P & F Industries, Inc.
P & F Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
P & F Industries, Inc.
A-dec, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Located on the A-dec Technical Park campus in Newberg, Oregon, A-dec, Inc.
A-dec, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Located on the A-dec Technical Park campus in Newberg, Oregon, A-dec, Inc.
Rotork plc →
Active · founded 1968 · United Kingdom
Rotork plc is the world's leading manufacturer of valve actuators--devices that provide remote control of valves for…
Rotork plc →
Active · founded 1968 · United Kingdom
Rotork plc is the world's leading manufacturer of valve actuators--devices that provide remote control of valves for…
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