Crane Co. is an American industrial products company based in Stamford, Connecticut. Founded by Richard Teller Crane in 1855, it became one of the leading manufacturers of bathroom fixtures in the United States, until 1990, when that division was sold off. In 1960 it began the process of becoming a holding company with a diverse portfolio. Its business segments are Aerospace & Electronics, Engineered Materials (fiberglass paneling and telecom equipment), Fluid Handling, and Controls (sensing and control systems). Industries served by these segments include chemical industries, commercial construction, food and beverage, general and commercial aviation, and power generation.
The company was best known to the consumer public for its bathroom fixtures, and more recently, its vending machines. However, it has divested itself of both of these public-facing businesses.
History
In 1855, brothers Richard and Charles Crane formed R. T. Crane & Bro., which manufactured and sold brass goods and plumbing supplies in Chicago, Illinois. The new company soon won contracts to supply pipe and steam-heating equipment in large public buildings such as the Cook County courthouse and the state prison at Joliet. In 1865, R. T. Crane and Brother was incorporated, and the name of the company was changed to the Northwestern Manufacturing Company. It began to manufacture a full line of industrial valves and fittings in cast iron, malleable iron and brass.[2] By 1870, when it employed about 160 people, it was making elevators as well.