Edwards (company)

Edwards
Subsidiary of UTC Fire & Security
Industry Manufacturing
Founded Norwalk, CT (1872)
Headquarters Cheshire, CT; Montreal
Products Fire detection and notification devices, signaling, and communication systems
Parent United Technologies Corporation
Website http://edwardsutcfs.com/

Edwards is a multinational corporation owned by United Technologies Corporation that specializes in fire protection, signaling, and communication systems. Edwards's brands include EST, Vigilant, Dukane, and Edwards Signaling.[1]

History

Edwards was founded in 1872 by Robert S. Edwards and David Rousseau. The two designed and manufactured an electric igniter for gas-powered light fixtures. After Rousseau departed the company, Edwards began making doorbells and simple burglar alarms, obtaining a patent for the first electric bell in 1881. Throughout the rest of the decade, the company's product line expanded to include electric annunciators, door openers, clocks, and switches.[2] In 1903, Edwards provided the first electric closing bell for the New York Stock Exchange, a well-known sound which continues to be made by an Edwards signal to this day. The company continued to perfect its electric signals throughout the early 20th century, introducing a series of heavy-duty watertight bells and buzzers in the 1910s for use in maritime, military, and mining applications.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Edwards further expanded its product line with fire alarm systems, sprinklers, and watchman's tour systems. By the mid-20th century, fire protection would come to be the company's most notable and profitable industry, establishing itself as one of the major brands in the fire protection field. In 1950, a new plant was opened in Owen Sound, Ontario to accommodate increasing demand for fire alarm and electric clock systems.[3] In 1951, the company introduced its recognizable series of "teardrop" coded and non-coded fire alarm pull stations, acclaimed by the Associated Press for their simple foolproof design. The non-coded 270-series pull stations are still manufactured today with little difference from the original design.[4]

General Signal Corporation Acquisition

Two Edwards 270-SPO fire alarm pull stations.

In 1962, the company was purchased by General Signal Corporation and adopted the brand name "Edwards GS" for certain products. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the company modernized its line of fire alarm products with modular control panels, ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors, and compact audible and visible signaling appliances. Among Edwards's notable fire alarm panels were the 6500, a custom modular conventional panel introduced in the 1970s and known for its enduring reliability, and the 8500, a microprocessor-based multiplex panel with voice evacuation and video terminal capability introduced in the 1980s. The 1980s also saw Edwards introduce the 278-series Lexan-made pull stations and a complete line of electronic horn/strobes, such as the Edwards integrity.

Starting in 1993, Edwards began manufacturing digitally-controlled fire alarm systems under the brand "EST" (Edwards Systems Technology) following the acquisition of Florida-based company FAST (Fire Alarm Systems Technology).[5] The first systems under the EST brand had originally been designed and marketed by FAST, including the IRC-3 network-capable fire alarm platform and LSS4/12 conventional panels. Meanwhile, the "Edwards" name was used for general signaling and accessory products. In 1994, EST introduced the Signature series of intelligent pull stations, multisensor detectors, addressable modules, and loop controllers, along with the Integrity series of notification appliances. Signature series smoke detectors were among the first multi-element devices, comprising photoelectric, ionization, and heat sensor elements in one housing for more accurate detection. A year later, the EST1 modular conventional panel and EST2 addressable fire alarm system were introduced. Taking full advantage of Signature series intelligent devices, the EST2 featured device mapping, integrated audio, and networking for up to 5 nodes.[6] The aging IRC-3 was replaced with the EST3 in 1998, bringing the new features of the EST2 to a large panel capable of multiplexed audio and campus-size token ring networking up to 60 miles. That year, EST and Edwards Signaling became a business unit of SPX Corporation, which bought out General Signal.[7]

In 2000, EST introduced the Genesis series of low profile notification appliances, featuring the smallest device footprint of any notification appliances at the time. Genesis series devices also incorporate strobes without reflectors and field-selectable candela and wattage settings.[8] In 2001, EST introduced the QuickStart, a compact modular fire alarm panel that can automatically configure itself and can utilize conventional and/or addressable circuits.[9] The new FireShield series of conventional panels replaced the EST1 in 2003.

GE Acquisition

On November 15, 2004, SPX Corporation announced an agreement to sell EST to General Electric for $1.395 billion. The transaction was a product of SPX's "fix, grow, sell" strategy in which they would acquire a company, grow it to substantial profitability, and sell it to a larger conglomerate to redeem the company's value for SPX's shareholders.[10] Upon GE's acquisition of EST in 2005, the company became a business unit of the newly formed GE Security alongside previous acquisitions Kalatel, Sentrol, Interlogix, and ESL. In addition to marketing EST's product line, GE used EST technology to create two new brands: Vigilant, a series of non-proprietary high-end addressable panels compatible with Signature series devices and introduced in 2007, and FireworX, a non-proprietary series of small FireShield-style conventional and addressable systems compatible with ESL devices and introduced in 2009. Despite their similarities to EST products, these products were distributed through separate channels and did not require dealers to be EST strategic partners. Meanwhile, EST introduced the iO64 and iO500, two new small addressable panels, in 2009.

UTC Acquisition

On November 12, 2009, GE announced an agreement to sell their entire GE Security division to United Technologies Corporation for $1.82 billion. The 2008 recession, loss of longtime leaders within acquired companies, and general lack of experience in the industry have been cited as reasons for the transaction. Scott Goldfine, editor in-chief of Security Sales & Integration Magazine, attributes GE's bowing out of the industry to "believing it could bend the industry to its whims rather than understand and respect its truly unique nature and pursue it on its own terms".[11] Edwards and its brands joined UTC Fire & Security as a business unit alongside Kidde, Chubb, Red Hawk, and Lenel. Currently, UTC markets the EST, Vigilant, Dukane, and Edwards Signaling brands under the Edwards name, while FireworX remains a non-proprietary series of fire alarm systems under UTC Fire & Security. In 2011, EST replaced the EST2 with the new EST3X fire alarm panel. The company also updated the Signature series of smoke detectors with a new design and modular carbon monoxide detection capability.

Current products

EST

Today, EST markets a full product line of conventional and addressable fire alarm and emergency notification systems, including:

Vigilant

Vigilant offers non-proprietary addressable fire alarm systems for applications of all sizes:

FireworX

FireworX offers non-proprietary addressable fire alarm systems for smaller buildings:

References

  1. ↑ http://edwardsutcfs.com/
  2. ↑ http://www.knockdoorbells.com/history_edwards.htm
  3. ↑ http://edwards-signals.com/?Level=50&PG=21
  4. ↑ http://www.edwards-signals.com/index.cfm?pid=88
  5. ↑ http://www.edwardsutcfs.com/timeline/
  6. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20010302183451/http://www.est.net/est2.html
  7. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/19991104011225/http://www.est.net/frame.html
  8. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20010203202800/http://www.est.net/prod_genesis.html
  9. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20011212071239/http://www.est.net/QuickStart/prod_QS.cfm
  10. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20050129081630/http://www.est.net/pdf/Press_Releases/EST%20Release%20FINAL.pdf
  11. ↑ http://www.securitysales.com/blog/under-surveillance/story/2009/11/why-ge-failed-to-bring-security-to-life.aspx

External links