 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| NYSE: FSS S&P 600 Component | |
| Industry | Public safety |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Headquarters | Oak Brook, Illinois, United States |
Key people | Jennifer Sherman, President & CEO |
| Products | Emergency vehicle equipment, warning sirens and public safety solutions |
| Revenue |  $1 billion+ USD (reference: 2018 10K) |
Number of employees | ~3,300 |
| Website | [1] |
Federal Signal Corporation is a global corporation with about 3,300 employees, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. Federal Signal is best known for building and delivering equipment that moves material, cleans infrastructure, and protects the communities where people work and live. The Company operates two groups: Environmental Solutions and Safety and Security Systems.
Environmental Solutions Group is a leading manufacturer and supplier of a full range of street sweeper vehicles, sewer cleaner and vacuum loader trucks, hydro-excavation trucks, high-performance waterblasting equipment, dump truck bodies and trailers. The Group manufactures vehicles and equipment in the U.S. and Canada that are sold under the Elgin®, Vactor®, Guzzler®, Westech™, Jetstream®, Ox Bodies®, Crysteel®, J-Craft®, Duraclass®, Rugby® and Travis® brand names.
Safety and Security Systems Group is a leading manufacturer and supplier of comprehensive systems and products that law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency medical services, campuses, military facilities and industrial sites use to protect people and property. Offerings include systems for campus and community alerting, emergency vehicles, first responder interoperable communications and industrial communications, as well as municipal networked security. Specific products include vehicle lightbars and sirens, public warning sirens, general alarm systems, public address systems and public safety software. Products are sold under the Federal Signal™, Federal Signal VAMA® and Victor® brand names. The Group operates manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and South Africa.[1]
Federal Signal was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901 as Federal Electric Co. by John Goehst and James and John Gilchrist.[2] Samuel Insull later acquired the company. The company went public in 1969 under the leadership of Robert T. Gilchrist. Currently, the company has 14 manufacturing facilities in five different countries.[3]
History
Federal Signal was founded as the Federal Electric Company in 1901 by brothers John and James Gilchrist and partner John Goehst, manufacturing and selling store signs lit by incandescent lamps. By 1915, they began manufacturing and selling electrically operated mechanical sirens (such as the Q Siren and the Model 66 Siren).
During this time, Federal Electric came under the ownership of Commonwealth Edison, eventually becoming a part of the utility empire of Samuel Insull.
By the 1950s, the company was manufacturing outdoor warning sirens, most notably the Thunderbolt series, primarily intended for warning of air raids or fallout during the Cold War. Many of these sirens have been removed, but some still operate in tornado siren systems. Longtime engineer Earl Gosswiller patented the Beacon-Ray and TwinSonic products, which set the standard for emergency vehicle lightbars.
In 1956, the company became a corporation, renaming itself "Federal Sign and Signal Corporation". By this time, it made outdoor warning sirens, police sirens, fire alarms, and outdoor lighting.
By 1961, Federal Sign and Signal had gone public, trading on the NASDAQ market. This was when new products started being manufactured and sold, such as the Federal Signal Model 2. In 1976, the company became Federal Signal Corporation.
On Feb 22, 2000, Federal Signal Corporation announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the acquisition of P.C.S. Company ("P.C.S.").[4]
On June 27, 2005, Federal Signal Corporation announced the signing of a joint venture agreement to establish a Chinese company, Federal Signal (Shanghai) Environmental & Sanitary Vehicle Company Limited, based near Shanghai, China.[5]
On February 29, 2016, Federal Signal announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Joe Johnson Equipment and the rights to the name and company.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "2018 10K". sec.gov. Feb 28, 2019.
((cite web)): Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Federal Signal Corp". Company Histories. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "Who We Are". Federal Signal. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
((cite web)): Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Federal Signal Corporation Announces Acquisition of P.C.S. Company".
- ^ "Federal Signal Corporation Announces Establishment of Federal Signal Environmental & Sanitary Vehicle Company, Ltd".
- ^ "Federal Signal Executes Agreement to Acquire Joe Johnson Equipment". PR Newswire. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
