Akron Brass celebrates 90 years of producing equipment for the fire service this year. From a modest start making brass hose couplings in 1918, the company now designs and manufactures a wide range of products including nozzles, monitors, lights, reels and more.

Akron started when several former B.F. Goodrich Rubber Co. employees formed the Akron Brass Manufacturing Co. with the intent of producing couplings for the rapidly growing rubber-lined fire hose market. Production began in a leased portion of an American Cereal Co. building in Akron, Ohio. Demand was strong, and the company quickly outgrew the leased quarters and found it necessary to relocate to Wooster, Ohio.

Akron continued to prosper and in 1935, demands for additional expansion capital led the management team to incorporate. Constant improvement in the products and processes resulted in further rapid growth throughout the following years.

In 1962, Akron Brass merged into the Premier Industrial Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio. Under Premier, continued growth resulted in the increased need for manufacturing capacity and the facilities were expanded by the addition of 24,000 square feet on Spruce Street and 42,000 square feet on Old Mansfield Road in Wooster, Ohio.

In 1996 Premier Industrial merged with Farnell PLC of the United Kingdom to become Premier Farnell PLC. Premier Farnell continued to invest in Akron Brass including a major facility expansion in 2001 and ongoing investments in automated machinery each year.

Over the past four years, through two acquisitions, Akron Brass expanded its traditional product range to include scene lighting, junction boxes, reels, hand tools, warning lighting, general vehicular lighting and vehicle multiplex electrical systems. In 2004, Akron acquired the former GFE Manufacturing in Washington, Ill., and then in 2005, Akron acquired the former Weldon Technologies in Columbus, Ohio. All these products are now offered through Akron Brass via their global sales and distribution network.