Joy Compressor
Joy Compressors were first introduced in 1955 when the Joy Manufacturing Company hired four engineers and set them up in an office over a hardware store in Western New York. Within a short period of time, a farmer's field in Cheektowaga, New York was purchased for a test site. The early years were spent in R&D with the development of various types of turbo machinery including gas turbines, steam turbines, axial flow compressors, in-line centrifugal compressors and integral gear centrifugal compressors.[1]
In 1960, the Joy facility was transformed into a full fledged manufacturing factory focused on producing integrally geared centrifugal air compressors which produced oil free air flow.
The 1970s saw Joy compressors grow in the US domestic market with much focus on engineered custom compressors for refineries and air separation. Joy centrifugal compressors are operated in dozens of applications throughout the world and are integral to the following industries: auto, glass, textiles, petrochemical, snow making, electronics, food, industrial gases, chemical, refining, and energy.
Gardner Denver Company
- 1979, the Gardner-Denver Company was acquired by Cooper Industries, Inc. (“Cooper”) and operated as 10 unincorporated divisions.
- 1985 two of these divisions, the Gardner-Denver Air Compressor Division and the Petroleum Equipment Division, were combined to form the Gardner-Denver Industrial Machinery Division.
- 1987 Cooper acquired the Sutorbilt and DuroFlow blower product lines and the Joy industrial compressor product line, which were also consolidated into the Division.
- December 31, 1993, the assets and liabilities of the Industrial Machinery Division were transferred by Cooper to the Gardner-Denver Company, which had been formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cooper.
- April 15, 1994, the Gardner-Denver Company was spun off as an independent company to the shareholders of Cooper.