Remy International
Remy International, Inc. (NASDAQ: REMY) (formerly Delco Remy) headquartered in Pendleton, Indiana is an American manufacturer, remanufacturer, and distributor of light duty starters, alternators, hybrid power technology, and Delco Remy brand heavy duty systems. Remy has 48 facilities in 11 countries around the world.
History
Remy International had its beginnings in 1896 when Frank and Perry Remy opened a home wiring business in Anderson, Indiana. In 1901 the Remy Electric Company was incorporated. Perry Remy had conducted experiments with a magneto and by 1910 the company was producing 50,000 magnetos a year.
To prove the dependability of their product, the Remy brothers sent two men on a 6,000-mile (9,700 km) journey in 1909. They drove a Remy equipped Buick on a ten week trip from the hills of Kentucky to the swamps of Florida.
The Remy brothers sold their firm to Staughton Fletcher, Jr. and the Fletcher Savings and Trust in 1911 for a reputed one million dollars. Fletcher expanded the product line to include cranking motors, generators, and distributors.
Remy's competition was Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco) under the leadership of Charles F. Kettering. Kettering also manufactured ignition equipment and generators.
The United Motor Company purchased the two competitors in 1916 and incorporated them into their operations. The companies remained separated until purchased by General Motors two years later.
In 1918, Delco Remy began operating as a division of General Motors, developing advanced technologies and providing the industry with automotive, heavy duty, and U.S. military products. A successful General Motors division for more than 75 years, Delco Remy became its own entity in 1994 when a group of private investors bought the heavy duty and automotive divisions.
In 2004 the company changed its name to Remy International, Inc. Today, Remy is the leading global manufacturer and remanufacturer of automotive parts, including starters, alternators, and hybrid motors.
References
- Esther Dittlinger, Anderson: A Pictorial History, copyright 1990, page 104.
- Remy International website. Accessed 02-2011.