In 1907, Lincoln sold his interest in the company to Charles and Ruben Hitchcock, Peter's sons. The youngest, Ruben took over the company. But having little business or electrical experience, Ruben s
February 17, 2007 (Press Release) --
Reliance Electric was founded in 1904 in Cleveland, Ohio, as a partnership between two cousins: inventor John Lincoln and industrialist Peter Hitchcock. Lincoln had been working on a new type of direct current motor. Direct current was the primary means of electrification at the time because alternating current was considered dangerous and unpredictable. Lincoln invented the first adjustable-speed direct current motor. They shipped their first industrial electric motor in 1905. The two named their new company after the inventor, Lincoln Electric Motor Works.
In 1907, Lincoln sold his interest in the company to Charles and Ruben Hitchcock, Peter's sons. The youngest, Ruben took over the company. But having little business or electrical experience, Ruben sought a new president. He found one in Clarence Collens, a Yale graduate, who stayed with the company in that capacity for the next 40 years. When Collens came on as president, the company was incorporated as Reliance Electric and Engineering Company.
Image The variable-speed motor was Reliance's only product until 1913. That year, the company's chief engineer, Alex McCutcheon, designed a new DC motor that soon became Reliance's primary product. It was used in many of Cleveland's booming steel mills and was a mainstay of the DC product line until the early 1950s.
Reliance began to design and manufacture industrial alternating current (AC) motors in the 1920s, but the company was late to join the race to convert to AC.
Image Reliance executives realized that they needed to find a niche for their company to remain competitive and profitable. They decided that the company would concentrate on becoming a flexible, timely supplier of industrial motors and emphasize the applied engineering aspect of the business. To accomplish this conversion, the Reliance sales department was organized with technically knowledgeable people. These representatives would not just sell Reliance products, they would also investigate customers' needs and recommend equipment to get the job done.
One of the salesmen, Jim Corey, proved his technical expertise when he received a patent for an adjustable-voltage, multi-motor control system for use in the paper and textile industries.
Old Logo Reliance made its first inroads into the AC business in 1927 with a modification of the General Electric enclosed fan-cooled motor.
Image The company grew quickly on the basis of these new technologies, and in 1929, on the eve of the Great Depression, Reliance's sales peaked at about $3 million. The Corey motor helped partially insulate the company from the severe economic downturn, since the textile industry was virtually depression-proof. The introduction of the first electrical variable-speed drive package during the 1930s established Reliance's enduring leadership in that facet of the business.
In 1907, Lincoln sold his interest in the company to Charles and Ruben Hitchcock, Peter's sons. The youngest, Ruben took over the company. But having little business or electrical experience, Ruben sought a new president. He found one in Clarence Collens, a Yale graduate, who stayed with the company in that capacity for the next 40 years. When Collens came on as president, the company was incorporated as Reliance Electric and Engineering Company.
Image The variable-speed motor was Reliance's only product until 1913. That year, the company's chief engineer, Alex McCutcheon, designed a new DC motor that soon became Reliance's primary product. It was used in many of Cleveland's booming steel mills and was a mainstay of the DC product line until the early 1950s.
Reliance began to design and manufacture industrial alternating current (AC) motors in the 1920s, but the company was late to join the race to convert to AC.
Image Reliance executives realized that they needed to find a niche for their company to remain competitive and profitable. They decided that the company would concentrate on becoming a flexible, timely supplier of industrial motors and emphasize the applied engineering aspect of the business. To accomplish this conversion, the Reliance sales department was organized with technically knowledgeable people. These representatives would not just sell Reliance products, they would also investigate customers' needs and recommend equipment to get the job done.
One of the salesmen, Jim Corey, proved his technical expertise when he received a patent for an adjustable-voltage, multi-motor control system for use in the paper and textile industries.
Old Logo Reliance made its first inroads into the AC business in 1927 with a modification of the General Electric enclosed fan-cooled motor.
Image The company grew quickly on the basis of these new technologies, and in 1929, on the eve of the Great Depression, Reliance's sales peaked at about $3 million. The Corey motor helped partially insulate the company from the severe economic downturn, since the textile industry was virtually depression-proof. The introduction of the first electrical variable-speed drive package during the 1930s established Reliance's enduring leadership in that facet of the business.
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