Square D celebrates a century in the electrical industry
Where’s Willard Scott when you need him? Square D missed out on the portly weatherman’s birthday wishes as it celebrated its centennial this week. The Palatine, Ill.-based manufacturer is the flagship brand of Schneider Electric in the United States.
Chris C. Richardson, president and CEO of the North American division of Schneider Electric, says that the company’s priorities haven’t changed, despite changes to industry’s landscape. “Electrical safety has always been a major priority for us, and new technologies we’re introducing to improve electrical energy conservation and to support the distribution and control of alternative electrical energy production make this business more critical than ever.”
The company began 100 years ago when Bryson D. Horton and James B. McCarthy formed the McBride Manufacturing Co. in Detroit. Their first order for 1,000 cartridge-type electrical fuses was filled in an 18-ft x 40-ft room the pair had rented.
Square D is now a part of Paris-based Schneider Electric, a $9 billion company with branches in more than 130 countries.