Reliance Controls
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electrical equipment manufacturing |
| Founded | 1909 in Warren, Ohio, United States |
| Founder | Benjamin F. Flegel |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Time switches, transfer switches, generator accessories, power cords, plugs and connectors |
Reliance Controls Corporation is an electrical products company based in Racine, Wisconsin, founded as Reliance Automatic Lighting Company in 1909 with the invention of the heavy-duty commercial time switch.[1][2][3] The company's products include heavy duty time clocks and controls, transfer switches and transfer panels for portable generators and inverters, and generator accessories. Reliance also sells heavy duty outdoor generator power cords, outdoor remote power inlet boxes, home monitoring systems, and NEMA-style plugs and connectors.
History
[edit]Reliance Automatic Lighting Company was organized in Warren, Ohio, in 1909 before moving to Racine in 1911.[4] It was owned and operated by Benjamin F. Flegel and manufactured automatic time switches (clock apparatus for turning lights on and off at prearranged times). The automatic switches were used for store signs and windows and apartment lights; utilizing two or three circuits.[5][6][3]
During the 1980s, Reliance shifted its focus from time switches to manual transfer switches for portable generators, which have since become its principal product line.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin) October 4, 2009 front page “Money” section story including color photographs of the then 100-year-old company
- ^ "About Us - Reliance Controls Corporation". Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- ^ a b Electrical Review and Western Electrician, Volume 59 Electrical Review Publishing Company, 1911
- ^ a b Burke, Michael (2009-10-03). "The first 100 years: Racine's Reliance Controls hits century mark". The Journal Times. Archived from the original on 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ^ Racine, Belle City of the lakes, and Racine County, Wisconsin : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement; Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1916, 1216 pages
- ^ New Apparatus and Appliances Electrical Engineering, Volume 46 (Google eBook) Southern Electrician Publishing Company, 1914 - Electrical engineering page 236