Products & Solutions
1935-1960

Thriving on Innovation

The Johnson Service Company went public in 1940, trading its securities over-the-counter. Joseph A. Cutler, who started in 1912 as a sales engineer and became President in 1938, led the company as the world moved from the Great Depression into World War II. 

The U.S. government now classified Johnson Service Company as part of an industry essential to the war effort. This meant the company equipped defense facilities with temperature and humidity control systems, and also developed gas leak detectors, radiosondes to help pilots gather weather data, and echo boxes to test radar sets. 

Following the war, civilian construction included renewed interest in air conditioning, for comfort and for health. When Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine was rushed into mass production in 1955, the Johnson Service Company installed temperature-regulating apparatus in the virus incubation rooms. 

Large buildings now had hundreds of thermostats, valves, dampers and other control devices, each of which had to be checked several times a day. Johnson Service Company’s pneumatic control center, introduced in 1956, made it possible to monitor all of a facility’s temperature control devices from one location. Johnson Service Company sales hit $50 million in 1959, up from $10 million in 1949. Innovation was thriving.
INTERACT WITH HISTORY
Interact with History In 2010, Johnson Controls is celebrating 125 years of making buildings more energy-efficient for its customers. Learn more by viewing our interactive
online exhibit. more
CONTROL CENTER
Pneumatic Control Center Johnson’s 1956 pneumatic control center.
BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY
Building Sustainability Our global headquarters showcases the energy-efficient building products and solutions we provide to customers. more
1935-1960
Suppliers Contact Site map Social Media Privacy Terms of use Feedback
© 2013 Johnson Controls. All rights reserved.