Delta Electric Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electronics manufacturing |
| Founded | 1913 in Marion, Indiana, United States |
| Fate | Production discontinued on March 31, 1978 |
| Headquarters | Marion , United States |
| Products | Lanterns, flashlights, automotive and bicycle lighting, battery tubes, horns, horn buttons, light switches, battery-powered electrical components, bilge pumps, automotive lighting and safety products, warning buzzers for fire and security alarm systems |
The Delta Electric Company was an American manufacturer specializing in electronics, established in 1913 in Marion, Indiana. Its product range included lanterns, flashlights, lighting solutions for automotive and bicycle lighting, battery tubes, horns, horn buttons, light switches, along with various other battery-powered electrical components and bilge pumps. The company moved to Marion from Chicago following the acquisition of its stock.
Around 1964 or 1965, Novo Industrial Corporation purchased Delta. Subsequently, Novo’s subsidiary, King Bee Manufacturing Co., was relocated to Marion, integrating its automotive lighting and safety product lines—such as headlamps, safety lights, turn signals, mirrors, and reflectors designed for trucks, buses, trailers, and agricultural tractors—into Delta’s offerings.
Another division under Novo, United Air Cleaner (UAC), was responsible for manufacturing air cleaners. Delta functioned as a division of Novo until 1968 when Novo merged into United Filtration Corp., with Delta remaining under the new ownership. After selling off its bicycle accessory segment, Delta concentrated on automotive accessories including truck side-view mirrors and various types of switches. By 1976, the company’s primary focus had shifted to producing warning buzzers used in fire and security alarm systems.
In 1977, Halle Industries Inc. acquired Delta; however, production was discontinued on March 31, 1978, after the company lost contracts for smoke detector alarms to Japanese competitors.