Leslie Controls
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founder | John Leslie |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Industrial water heaters, control systems, regulators, and train horns |
| Parent | Circor International |
| Website | www |
Leslie Controls, Inc., part of the Thermal Fluid Division of Circor International Inc., is a manufacturer of industrial water heaters, control systems and regulators headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is one of two major manufacturers of train horns in North America, the other being Nathan Manufacturing, Inc.
Products and services
[edit]In addition to air horns, Leslie Controls manufactures control valves, shutoff valves, control instrumentation, steam conditioning systems, steam water heaters and regulators.[1] Leslie has a service center located in Tampa, which remanufacture valves made by a number of major companies. Other service centers repair valves from Watts ACV, R.G. Laurence, K&M, Contromatics, and Chas M. Bailey.[2]
History
[edit]Canadian John Leslie made a steam powered snowplow for railroads based on the patent assigned to him by Orange Jull.[3] By 1905, Leslie was operating a foundry in Lyndhurst, New Jersey and making steam pressure valves and regulators.[4]
Leslie's first products were steam control valves for trains that used coal, but by 1926 the company also made air and steam whistles for ships and trains.[5]
During World War I and World War II, Leslie supplied military and merchant ships with steam control equipment.[6]
In 1968, after the company had expanded its product line to include industries and utilities, Leslie built a plant in Parsippany, New Jersey.[4]
In a leveraged buyout, employees bought Leslie in 1982.[7]
Leslie moved to Tampa in 1986 because the New Jersey plant was old, and to cut costs and compete with companies outside the United states. Leslie Controls built a new 120,000-square-foot plant in Tampa Telecom Park. It had 230 employees, 100 who had moved from New Jersey. The company also have five service centers around the United States. Another plant was located in Canada. Its products ranged from small valves, some used for industrial plants, to custom valves that could weigh over half a ton, Some of its valves were shipped from foundries and adapted at the Leslie plant for custom uses.[5]
Leslie was purchased in 1989 by Watts Industries, Inc. of Andover, Massachusetts, which made water valves and was trying to increase its share of the valve industry. Leslie's 1988 sales were $33 million, Watts had sales of $181 million.[7] Leslie bought K&M Valve Company in 1995.[4]
Watts started Circor International in 1999 when it spun off valve and control businesses relating to oil and gas.[8]
From the 1940s to the 1980s, Leslie supplied products to United States Navy ships.[9] About 40 percent of Leslie's business came from the Navy, according to a 1987 newspaper article.[5] Some asbestos-related personal injury claims that resulted from Leslie's sales to the Navy were related to parts supplied by another company which were once used inside Leslie valves. Leslie filed for bankruptcy in July 2010 due to claims exceeding profits.[6] Leslie emerged from bankruptcy saying that the company created trusts that would be the claims.[10]
On November 16, 2021, HornBlasters announced that they had acquired the Prestigious Air Whistles Division of Circor Leslie Controls, the oldest locomotive horn manufacturer in the United States. As a result, Circor Leslie Controls' horns, including its Supertyfon RS horn, will be sold by HornBlasters starting in 2021.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Steam & Thermal Fluid Controls". Leslie Controls, Inc. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ "Remanufacturing, Service & Repair". Leslie Controls, Inc. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ Bianculli, Anthony J. (2002). Trains and Technology: Cars, Vol. 2. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-87413-730-6.
- ^ a b c "A Century of Superiority in the Use and Control of Fluids". Leslie Controls, inc. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
- ^ a b c Stengle, Bernice (November 26, 1987). "Full Steam Ahead: Leslie Controls makes valves to keep ships moving and whistles blowing". St. Petersburg Times. p. 12B.
- ^ a b "Leslie Controls seeks bankruptcy for asbestos claims". Business Insurance. July 12, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via Bloomberg News.
- ^ a b Stengle, Bernice (February 20, 1989). "Workers sell Leslie Controls to raise capital and shed debtg". St. Petersburg Times. p. 19.
- ^ "CIRCOR Aerospace Group". Industry Today. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
- ^ Doss, Kristina (October 29, 2010). "Circor's Leslie Controls Wins Bankruptcy Court Approval Of Plan". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Kahn, Fareha (April 28, 2011). "Circor's unit emerges from bankruptcy protection". Reuters. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ "HornBlasters to enter rail market, sell Leslie products". Trains. 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ "HornBlasters Brand Announces Acquisition of assets of Circor Leslie Controls's Prestigious Air Whistles Division" (Press release). Hornblasters Inc. 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2021-12-16.