 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electrical equipment |
| Predecessor |
|
| Founder | Bryson Dexter Horton |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served |
|
| Products | electrical equipment |
| Brands | Square D, QO, Homeline |
Number of employees | 17,102[1] |
| Parent | Schneider Electric |
| Website | www |
Square D is anAmerican manufacturer ofelectrical equipment headquartered inAndover, Massachusetts. Square D is aflagship brand ofSchneider Electric, which acquired the company in 1991.
The company was listed on theNew York Stock Exchange for 55 years prior to its acquisition without reporting financial loss in any calendar quarter, paying out 220 consecutive quarterly dividends to shareholders.
The company was founded on December 15, 1902 by Bryson Dexter Horton and James B. McCarthy. In 1903 they incorporated as theMcBride Manufacturing Company. During the first decade of business, the company expanded into various other electrical products. In 1908, the company was renamedDetroit Fuse and Manufacturing. Horton, an 1895electrical engineering graduate of theUniversity of Michigan, was credited with the invention of the safety switch, which encased high voltage switches and started the company's main line of business of circuit breakers and encased control panels.[2] Their first enclosed safety switch was introduced in 1909.
Soon after their renaming to Detroit Fuse and Manufacturing, the company adopted their famous logo — a capital "letter D" forDetroit, enclosed in a square. The logo was stamped on all Square D's switches and products. The combination of an easily rememberedmonogram logo and their great popularity resulted in customers referring to their products as "Square D". Consequently, the company trademarked the logo and in 1917 they renamed the companySquare D. Horton served as Square D's president until 1928
In the early 1920s Square D sold the majority of theirfuse business in order to focus more on their safety switches and other safety products; advertisements with the tagline "Jones is Dead!" directed public attention to the lethal hazard of exposed electrical switches in factories. Square D hoped to capitalize on the growing concern offactory safety.
By 1929, Square D merged with a Milwaukee-based industrial controller company and began producingWestinghouse-licensedcircuit breakers. In 1935 Square D began producing its own range of circuit breakers for both commercial and residential uses.[3]
In 1991, the company was acquired and became a subsidiary ofSchneider Electric.[4] In 2003, the Square D by Schneider Electric brand celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Today the company produces several lines of circuit breakers for domestic, commercial, and industrial applications.
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