Cooper-Bessemer
| Company type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Industrial compressors and engines |
| Predecessor | C. & G. Cooper Company, Bessemer Gas Engine Company |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Fate | Renamed Cooper Industries in 1965; product line acquired by General Electric in 2014 |
| Successor | Cooper Industries, Cooper Cameron Corporation, Cameron International Corporation |
| Headquarters | Mount Vernon, Ohio (original) , United States |
| Products | Industrial compressors, gas engines, diesel engines, gasoline engines |
Cooper-Bessemer represented a line of industrial compressors and engines produced in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The Cooper-Bessemer Corporation was established in 1929 through the consolidation of the C. & G. Cooper Company (originating in 1833) and the Bessemer Gas Engine Company (founded in 1899). In 1965, the company adopted the name Cooper Industries and shifted its headquarters to Houston, Texas. During the 1990s, Cooper Industries' Petroleum and Industrial Equipment Group separated to form Cooper Cameron Corporation, which currently operates as the Compression Systems division within Cameron International Corporation. Cooper Machinery Services continues to serve as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for Cooper-Bessemer engines.
Engines
By 1929, Cooper-Bessemer was manufacturing compressors powered by gas engines, along with stationary and marine diesel engines and gasoline engines. Throughout World War II, the firm provided diesel engines for various naval vessels including troop carriers, cargo ships, warships, tugboats, and patrol boats. Its gas engines were integral to industries producing rubber, alloys, lightweight metals, high-octane aviation fuel, synthetic ammonia for munitions, as well as operations in refineries, chemical plants, shipyards, and petroleum pipeline systems. Numerous early GE diesel locomotives incorporated Cooper-Bessemer engine technology.
Compressors
Between the 1920s and 1980s, Cooper-Bessemer manufactured thousands of integral engine-compressors such as models GMV, GMW, GMX series alongside V-250, V-275, W-330, Z-330, and QUAD variants. These units featured a compact V-angle engine configuration with an articulated connecting-rod mechanism that enabled multiple power pistons to drive a single master compressor rod per crankshaft throw. The GMV integral-angle gas engine-compressor played a crucial role in supporting natural gas transmission, gas processing, petrochemical production, refinery operations, and power generation industries throughout the United States and in 44 countries worldwide for over five decades.
Current ownership
A substantial number of Cooper-Bessemer engines remain active today. In 2014, General Electric acquired this product line from Cameron. Cooper Machinery Services retains its position as the current OEM for all Cooper-Bessemer engines.