COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 333911

Pump and Pumping Equipment Manufacturing

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

30companies1865–1997founding years28still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedCrane Co.FoundedCrane Co.
1865
FoundedKSB AG
1871
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedIngersoll-Rand Company Ltd.
1905
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedThe Gorman-Rupp Company
1934
FoundedGraham Corporation
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSpirax-Sarco Engineering plcFoundedSpirax-Sarco Engineering plc
1952
FoundedThomas Industries Inc.
1953
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedP & F Industries, Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
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.
FoundedRoper Industries, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedCardo AB
1985
FoundedNational Oilwell, Inc.FoundedNational Oilwell, Inc.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedStanadyne Automotive Corporation
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedGardner Denver, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedColfax CorporationFoundedFlowserve Corporation
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

Crane Co. →
Active · founded 1865
Crane Co.
Crane Co. →
Active · founded 1865
Crane Co.
KSB AG →
Active · founded 1871 · Germany
KSB AG is Europe's leading manufacturer of pumps, valves, and related control systems for use in construction and…
KSB AG →
Active · founded 1871 · Germany
KSB AG is Europe's leading manufacturer of pumps, valves, and related control systems for use in construction and…
Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1905
Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd.
Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1905
Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd.
The Gorman-Rupp Company →
Active · founded 1934
1940s:The company develops a solids handling trash pump with a removable endplate.
The Gorman-Rupp Company →
Active · founded 1934
1940s:The company develops a solids handling trash pump with a removable endplate.
Graham Corporation →
Active · founded 1936
Graham Corporation is a Batavia, New York-based, publicly traded, maker of vacuum and heat transfer equipment, with…
Graham Corporation →
Active · founded 1936
Graham Corporation is a Batavia, New York-based, publicly traded, maker of vacuum and heat transfer equipment, with…
Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc →
Active · founded 1952 · United Kingdom
By then, Spirax-Sarco had been forced to overcome a bump in the late 1990s, after the company shut down its Allentown…
Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc →
Active · founded 1952 · United Kingdom
By then, Spirax-Sarco had been forced to overcome a bump in the late 1990s, after the company shut down its Allentown…
Thomas Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1953
Thomas Industries Inc.
Thomas Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1953
Thomas Industries Inc.
P & F Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
P & F Industries, Inc.
P & F Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
P & F Industries, Inc.
Roper Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
A leader in the fluid handling, industrial controls, and analytical instrumentation industries, Roper Industries, Inc.
Roper Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
A leader in the fluid handling, industrial controls, and analytical instrumentation industries, Roper Industries, Inc.
Cardo AB →
Active · founded 1985 · Sweden
Cardo AB has focused its efforts on building two world-leading companies: Cardo Door and Cardo Pump.
Cardo AB →
Active · founded 1985 · Sweden
Cardo AB has focused its efforts on building two world-leading companies: Cardo Door and Cardo Pump.
National Oilwell, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
National Oilwell, Inc.
National Oilwell, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
National Oilwell, Inc.
Stanadyne Automotive Corporation →
Active · founded 1989
Stanadyne Automotive Corporation is a leading manufacturer of fuel injectors and pumps for diesel engines and hydraulic…
Stanadyne Automotive Corporation →
Active · founded 1989
Stanadyne Automotive Corporation is a leading manufacturer of fuel injectors and pumps for diesel engines and hydraulic…
Gardner Denver, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1993
Gardner Denver, Inc.
Gardner Denver, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1993
Gardner Denver, Inc.
Colfax Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Colfax Corporation is a privately held Richmond, Virginia-based manufacturing company with two operating groups.
Colfax Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Colfax Corporation is a privately held Richmond, Virginia-based manufacturing company with two operating groups.
Flowserve Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Flowserve Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture, marketing, and maintenance of fluid-handling…
Flowserve Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Flowserve Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture, marketing, and maintenance of fluid-handling…
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