Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electrical manufacturing |
| Predecessor | American Electric Company |
| Founded | 1882 in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founder | Elihu Thomson, Edwin Houston |
| Defunct | 1892 |
| Fate | Merged with Edison General Electric to form General Electric |
| Headquarters | Lynn, Massachusetts , United States |
Key people | Charles Albert Coffin (finance, marketing, sales), Edwin Rice (production), Elihu Thomson (product innovation) |
Number of employees | 4,000 (1892) |
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was a manufacturing enterprise that played a significant role as a forerunner to General Electric.
History
Originally established as the American Electric Company by Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston, the business was purchased in 1882 by a consortium of investors led by Charles Albert Coffin, who were primarily shoe manufacturers from Lynn, Massachusetts. They changed the name to Thomson-Houston Electric Company and moved the company's operations to Western Avenue in Lynn.
With Coffin directing finance, marketing, and sales, Edwin Rice overseeing production, and Elihu Thomson managing product innovation, the company experienced swift growth. By 1892, it reported sales nearing and employed approximately 4,000 individuals.
In 1884, the establishment of Thomson-Houston International Company aimed to expand its international sales efforts. The firm’s electric incandescent lighting was utilized in notable projects such as the Lynn G.A.R. Hall in 1885.
By 1888, Thomson-Houston provided electrical generation and propulsion machinery for the Highland Circuit of the Lynn & Boston Railroad—the earliest electric streetcar system in Massachusetts—signifying a breakthrough in urban transportation electrification.
In 1889, Thomson-Houston acquired the Brush Company, settling patent conflicts concerning arc lamps and dynamos. This acquisition enhanced its competitive standing within the industry.
The company merged with Edison General Electric of Schenectady, New York, in 1892 through an arrangement facilitated by financier John Pierpoint Morgan, resulting in the creation of General Electric. The Lynn plant remains one of GE’s two original manufacturing sites.
British Thomson-Houston
British Thomson-Houston (BTH) was founded in May 1896 as a subsidiary of American General Electric, evolving from Laing, Wharton, and Down (established in 1886). In 1928, BTH merged with competitor Metropolitan-Vickers to form Associated Electrical Industries (AEI). This union established AEI as the largest military contractor within the British Empire during the 1930s and World War II. AEI was subsequently taken over by the General Electric Company (GEC) in 1967. GEC later separated its defense operations in 1999 to create Marconi plc and Marconi Corporation plc, which eventually became Telent.
Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston
Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (CFTH), founded in 1893 in Paris, served as GE’s French counterpart. CFTH is recognized as a predecessor to Alstom. A corporate split in 1999 led to the formation of what are now known as Vantiva and Thomson-CSF.
References and sources
- References
- Sources
- Hammond, John Winthrop. Men and Volts, the Story of General Electric (1941).
- Carlson, W. Bernard. Innovation as a Social Process: Elihu Thomson and the Rise of General Electric, 1870-1900 (Cambridge University Press, 1991).
- Woodbury, David O. Elihu Thomson, Beloved Scientist (Museum of Science, Boston, 1944).
- Haney, John L. The Elihu Thomson Collection American Philosophical Society Yearbook (1944).
- Articles with short description
- 1882 establishments in Massachusetts
- Energy companies established in 1882
- Manufacturing companies established in 1882
- American companies established in 1882
- 1892 mergers and acquisitions
- 1892 disestablishments in Massachusetts
- Energy companies disestablished in 1892
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1892
- American companies disestablished in 1892
- Defunct electronics companies of the United States
- General Electric subsidiaries
- Technicolor SA
- Companies based in Lynn, Massachusetts
- Defunct manufacturing companies based in Massachusetts
- Aircraft component manufacturers of France