Miller Electric
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Miller Electric is an arc welding and cutting equipment manufacturing company based in Appleton, WI. Miller Electric has grown from a one-man operation selling products in Northeast Wisconsin, to what is today the world's largest manufacturer of arc welding and cutting equipment.
Founded in 1929, Niels Miller recognized the need for a small affordable arc welder that could operate on the type of electricity readily available in rural Wisconsin. With no money for raw materials, he used scrap sheet metal, core and coil materials to hammer together that first welder in his basement. His simple, non-rotating AC welder was smaller, lighter and less expensive than the DC units that were available.
In 1935, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. was incorporated. Al Mulder, Miller's sole engineer, invented the world's first high frequency-stabilized AC industrial welder. This improved the quality of the welding arc, making AC welding practical for use in factories and construction.
On July 31, 1962, Niels Miller, the man who built Miller Electric from a basement workshop to one of the world's largest manufacturers of welding equipment, died at age 63. Much of Miller's early growth is directly attributable to Mr. Miller's inventive genius and leadership.
In 1991, Margaret Miller Gilson, who had led the company since her father's death, passed away, leaving the family-owned business without a clear successor. Remaining family members began to plan for the company's future, and in 1993 it was decided that Miller Electric should form an alliance with Illinois Tool Works (ITW), a multi-national company based in Chicago.
ITW had much in common with Miller Electric in terms of business philosophy, and in 1992 it had been ranked as one of the top 100 "Most Admired American Corporations" by Fortune magazine. ITW brought to Miller the resource base and global perspective needed to further strengthen the company's position as a world leader in the welding industry.
Since the ITW acquisition, Miller has continued to focus on serving customers. In 2002, it became the first US welding equipment manufacturer - and one of the first few US manufacturers of any product - to comply with the new ISO 9001:2000 standard. This new standard addresses meeting customer requirements and achieving customer satisfaction. Now, into the first decade of the millennium, Miller has delivered more industry firsts, breakthrough technologies and set a world record.
[edit] External links
 |
This corporation or company article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
