Emerson Electric Co. is an American

multinational corporation A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...

headquartered in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. The

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...

company delivers a range of engineering services, manufactures industrial automation equipment, climate control systems, and precision measurement instruments, and provides software engineering solutions for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets. Operating in over 150 countries, Emerson supports a broad range of industries, including

oil and gas A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologi ...

power generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery ( transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users or its stora ...

chemicals A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

water treatment Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses, ...

, and

heating, ventilation, and air conditioning Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. H ...

systems, as well as

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

and

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

solutions. In recent years, Emerson has expanded its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in digital transformation technologies. The company's focus on

automation Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...

data analytics Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data, which also falls under and directly relates to the umbrella term, data sci ...

, and

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

has positioned it as a leader in industrial solutions, helping businesses improve operational efficiency and sustainability. Emerson's digital platforms, such as Plantweb and DeltaV, are now widely adopted across industries to enable real-time monitoring,

predictive maintenance Predictive maintenance techniques are designed to help determine the condition of in-service equipment in order to estimate when maintenance should be performed. This approach claims more cost savings over routine or time-based preventive maint ...

, and enhanced decision-making processes.

Operations

Emerson deeply integrates

software engineering Software engineering is a branch of both computer science and engineering focused on designing, developing, testing, and maintaining Application software, software applications. It involves applying engineering design process, engineering principl ...

into its operations, with a focus on

and the

industrial internet of things The industrial internet of things (IIoT) refers to interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together with computers' industrial applications, including manufacturing and energy management. This connectivity allows for data ...

. The company's platforms, such as the Plantweb Digital Ecosystem, DeltaV, and Ovation, are developed to improve operational efficiency across multiple industries. These platforms integrate technologies like

, real-time data analytics,

machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of Computational statistics, statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalise to unseen data, and thus perform Task ( ...

, and

to enhance performance and optimize

asset management Asset management is a systematic approach to the governance and realization of all value for which a group or entity is responsible. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as complex process or manufacturing plants, infrastr ...

in sectors including

and water utilities. In addition to its commitment to technological advancements, Emerson has prioritized sustainability and

corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or corporate social impact is a form of international private business industry self-regulation, self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropy, philanthropic, activist, or chari ...

. The company is actively pursuing goals related to

energy efficiency Energy efficiency may refer to: * Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process ** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed ** Mechanical efficiency, a rat ...

emissions reduction Emissions reduction can refer to: * Climate change mitigation * Air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, ...

, and

community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activist ...

, making strides toward

carbon neutrality Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon dioxide (). Reaching net ze ...

in its operations.

History

Emerson was established 1890 in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, Missouri, as Emerson Electric Manufacturing Co. by

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Union veteran John Wesley Emerson to manufacture

electric motor An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a electromagnetic coil, wire winding to gene ...

s using a

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

owned by the Scottish-born brothers Charles and Alexander Meston. In 1892, it became the first to sell

electric fan A fan is a powered machine that creates airflow. A fan consists of rotating vanes or blades, generally made of wood, plastic, or metal, which act on the air. The rotating assembly of blades and hub is known as an '' impeller'', '' rotor'', or '' ...

s in the United States. It quickly expanded its product line to include electric

sewing machine Diagram of a modern sewing machine Animation of a modern sewing machine as it stitches A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolutio ...

s, electric dental drills, and

power tool A power tool is a tool that is actuator, actuated by an additional engine, power source and mechanism (engineering), mechanism other than the solely manual labour, manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric ...

Emerson Electric News Flashes - NARA - 534557

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, under the leadership of

Stuart Symington William Stuart Symington III ( ; June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was an American businessman and Democratic politician from Missouri. He served as the first secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a United States senator from ...

, Emerson became the world's largest manufacturer of airplane armament. Emerson ranked 52nd among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. In 1954, W.R. "Buck" Persons was named company president. Under his leadership, Emerson diversified its

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

by acquiring 36 companies. When he retired in 1973, the company had 82 plants, 31,000 employees, and $800 million in sales. In 1962, it acquired the United States Electrical Manufacturing Company as the U.S. Electrical Motors Division, including the brand U.S. Motors. In 1968, it acquired the

InSinkErator InSinkErator is an American company and brand name known for producing instant hot water dispensers and food waste disposal systems, generally called " garbage disposals" or "garbage disposers". History Architect John W. Hammes founded the comp ...

company. Charles F. Knight was CEO from 1973 to 2000, and was chairman from 1974 to 2004. His tenure marked the development of a rigorous planning process, new product and technology development, acquisitions and joint ventures, and international growth. David Farr succeeded him as chairman, and was also the CEO until 2021. On December 15, 1999, Emerson Electric reached an agreement to acquire Jordan Industries Inc.'s telecommunications equipment division for a total of $440 million, a strategic move aimed at strengthening its position in the rapidly growing telecommunications sector at the time. In 2010, Emerson sold its U.S. Motors brand to Nidec Corporation, marking a significant shift in Emerson’s focus towards more advanced technology-driven industries. On July 26, 2011, Emerson publicly announced its decision to establish its Latin American regional headquarters in

Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. The population was 97,335 at the time of the 2020 census. History Early history In ...

, as part of its strategy to expand its footprint in the region and better serve its growing customer base in Latin America. On December 1, 2016,

Platinum Equity Platinum Equity, LLC is an American private equity investment firm founded by Tom Gores in 1995, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. The firm focuses on leveraged buyout investments of established companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia. ...

acquired Emerson’s Network Power division for more than $4 billion, rebranding the business as

Vertiv Vertiv is an American multinational provider of critical infrastructure and services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments. Headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, Vertiv has ~31,000 employees worldw ...

. This acquisition encompassed several well-known brands, including ASCO,

Chloride The term chloride refers to a compound or molecule that contains either a chlorine anion (), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond (). The pr ...

, Liebert, NetSure, and Trellis, significantly enhancing

’s portfolio in the critical infrastructure technology sector. In July 2018, Emerson completed the acquisition of

Textron Textron Inc. is an American industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Kautex, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft and Cessna b ...

Tools and Test Businesses for a total of $810 million, which included brands such as Greenlee, Klauke, HD Electric, and Sherman + Reilly. This acquisition further expanded Emerson’s offerings in the professional tools and test equipment market, adding valuable assets to its business. On April 1, 2020, Emerson strengthened its presence in the hydropower control systems industry by acquiring the American Governor Company, a provider of technologies used to control hydroelectric turbines. This acquisition was aimed at boosting Emerson’s capabilities in renewable energy sectors. In October 2022, Emerson reached a significant deal to sell a 55 percent controlling interest in its climate technologies business to private equity firm

Blackstone Inc. Blackstone Inc. is an American alternative investment management company based in New York City. It was founded in 1985 as a mergers and acquisitions firm by Peter Peterson and Stephen Schwarzman, who had previously worked together at Lehman ...

for $14 billion, including debt. This sale represented a decision by Emerson to pivot towards higher-growth areas such as automation, while also benefiting from Blackstone’s expertise in scaling businesses. Following a nearly year-long negotiation, in April 2023, Emerson finalized an agreement to acquire

National Instruments The National Instruments Corporation, doing business as NI, is an America, American multinational corporation, multinational company with international operations. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Austin, Texas, it is a producer of automated tes ...

in an all-cash transaction valued at $8.2 billion. This acquisition was designed to enhance Emerson’s automation technology capabilities, adding advanced testing and measurement technologies to its product portfolio and enabling further innovation in its industrial automation business.

Corporate

Emerson has undergone significant leadership transitions and strategic shifts since its founding in 1890. Key leadership in the mid-20th century includes W.R. Persons, who focused on diversification and expansion from 1954 to 1973, followed by Charles Knight, under whom Emerson pursued aggressive acquisitions and global growth between 1973 and 2000. David Farr, who was CEO from 2000 to 2021, continued to expand the company's reach into international markets and advanced technology sectors. Jim Turley is the chairman, and Lal Karsanbhai is CEO. Emerson operates through two primary business units: Automation Solutions and Commercial & Residential Solutions. Its Automation Solutions division focuses on process automation and

digital transformation Digital transformation (DT) is the process of adoption and implementation of digital technology by an organization in order to create new or modify existing products, services and operations by the means of translating business processes into a d ...

, providing software and engineering services to industries like

, and

pharmaceuticals Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

. The Commercial & Residential Solutions unit focuses on climate technologies and residential products, including

systems, tools, and compressors.

Environmental records

In 2008 (using data from 2005), researchers at the

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...

identified Emerson as the 97th largest corporate producer of

air pollution in the United States Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, Atmospheric particulate matter, particulate matter, or biotic material, biological materials into the Earth's atmosphere, atmosphere that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms ...

, down from its previous rank of 56th. Major

pollutant A pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effect, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like oi ...

s indicated by the study include

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

compounds,

manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...

diisocyanate In organic chemistry, isocyanate is the functional group with the formula . Organic compounds that contain an isocyanate group are referred to as isocyanates. An organic compound with two isocyanate groups is known as a diisocyanate. Diisocyan ...

, and

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

. Since then, Emerson has made strides in reducing its environmental footprint. According to its 2023 sustainability report, the company achieved a 52% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

intensity compared to 2021 levels. Additionally, Emerson procures 49% of its electricity from renewable sources and has set long-term goals for further emissions reductions. In recognition of these efforts, Emerson was named the 2023

Energy Star Energy Star (trademarked ENERGY STAR) is an Efficient energy use, energy-efficiency program established in 1992. It is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The EPA ...

Partner of the Year for energy management.

Products

Automation Solutions

Emerson provides advanced process automation, control systems, and software solutions critical to industries such as oil and gas, power generation, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment. The company's Plantweb Digital Ecosystem integrates advanced sensing technologies, analytics software, and industrial internet of things solutions to optimize manufacturing processes. Emerson's automation solutions also include predictive maintenance technologies, remote monitoring, and control systems that leverage

, and

edge computing Edge computing is a distributed computing model that brings computation and data storage closer to the sources of data. More broadly, it refers to any design that pushes computation physically closer to a user, so as to reduce the Latency (engineer ...

for enhanced performance. Key products include: * DeltaV

distributed control system A distributed control system (DCS) is a computerized control system for a process or plant usually with many control loops, in which autonomous controllers are distributed throughout the system, but there is no central operator supervisory contro ...

s * Ovation control systems for

power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

and water industries * Fisher valves and instruments * Rosemount instrumentation * Micro Motion flow and

density meters Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be use ...

* AMS Suite plant asset management software

Commercial & Residential Solutions

Emerson is a leader in

and

refrigeration Refrigeration is any of various types of cooling of a space, substance, or system to lower and/or maintain its temperature below the ambient one (while the removed heat is ejected to a place of higher temperature).IIR International Dictionary of ...

technologies through its Copeland brand, known for its compressors and related technologies that improve energy efficiency. Other notable brands and products in this segment include: * Sensi smart thermostats *

garbage disposals A garbage disposal unit (also known as a waste disposal unit, food waste disposer (FWD), in-sink macerator, garbage disposer, or garburator) is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain a ...

* Greenlee tools and equipment for electrical professionals * Ridgid tools

Aerospace and Defense Solutions

Emerson Electric also plays a significant role in the

and defense industry, producing high-performance

avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the ...

equipment. The AN/APQ series of

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

systems, which provide advanced targeting and navigation capabilities for

military aircraft A military aircraft is any Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing or rotorcraft, rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary military of any type. Some military aircraft engage directly in aerial warfare, while others take on su ...

, are key products in this segment. Notable products include: * AN/APG-69 * AN/APQ-153 * AN/APQ-157 * AN/APQ-159

Corporate relationships

Emerson's brands acquisitions

On December 22, 2014, Emerson announced the acquisition of Scotland-based Cascade Technologies Ltd., expanding their gas-analysis portfolio with laser-based measurement analyzers and systems for enhanced industrial emissions monitoring, production efficiencies, and regulatory compliance. Other main Emerson acquisitions and brands include: * Advanced Protection Technologies * AgileOps * AMS Suite * American Governor Company * Aperture * APM Automation Solutions * Alco Controls * Appleton Group (formerly EGS Electrical Group) * Artesyn (spun off on Jan 2014) * ASCO International (sold to

Schneider Electric Schneider Electric SE is a French multinational corporation that specializes in digital automation and energy management. Registered as a Societas Europaea, Schneider Electric is a ''Fortune'' Global 500 company, publicly traded on the Euronex ...

in 2017) * ASCO Numatics * Astec (spun off on Jan 2014) * Aventics * Avocent * Avtron Loadbank * Bettis * Branson * Bristol Babcock * Cascade Technologies Ltd * Chloride Group *

Chromalox Chromalox, Inc. manufactures and supplies electric heat and control products for industrial heating applications in the U.S. and internationally. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company has manufacturing facilities in Ogden, Utah; La Ver ...

(sold to JPMorgan Partners in 2003) * Closet Maid (sold to

Griffon Corp Griffon may refer to: * Griffin, or griffon, a mythological creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle Businesses * Griffon Aerospace, an American aerospace and defense company * Griffon Corporation, a multinational conglo ...

in late 2017) * Control Products * Control Techniques (sold to Nidec in early 2017) * Cooper-Atkins * Copeland (sold to Blackstone in early 2023) * CSI Technologies * DeltaV * Dixell * Electronic Navigation Industries * Enardo LLC * Energy Systems * Firetrol * Fisher Regulators * Fisher Valves & Instruments * Flexim * Fusite * GeoFields * Greenlee * Groveley Detection Ltd *

(sold to

Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances headquartered in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, United States. In 2023, the Fortune 500 company had an annual revenue ...

in 2022) * Intelligent Store * Islatrol * Knurr (a business of Vertiv now) * Leroy-Somer (sold to Nidec in early 2017) * Liebert (a business of Vertiv now) * METCO * Metro (InterMetro Industries) * Micro Motion * Mimic * Mobrey *

Open Systems International Automatic Systems International, Inc. (ASI), or Open Systems International (OSI) is an automation software company headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, with international offices in Canada, Colombia, Spain, India, Dubai, Australia, Singapore, and ...

(pending sale late 2020) * Ovation * Paine Electronics * Paradig * Penberthy * Pentair Valves & Controls * Permasense * Plantweb Optics * Power Transmission Solutions * Progea Group * ProSys, Inc. * ProTeam * Pryne & Co., Inc. * Ridgid (Ridge Tool Company) * Rosemount * Rosemount Analytical * Roxar * Saab Marine Electronics * Sensi (Part of Copeland) * Spence and Nicholson * SSB Wind Systems (sold to Nidec in early 2017) * Surge Protection * Syncade * TopWorx * Tescom * Therm-O-Disc * Universal Western Electric Co. (1960) * Verdant * Vilter * White-Rodgers * WORKSHOP * Zedi

Controversies

NBC ''Heroes'' lawsuit

On October 2, 2006, Emerson filed suit in federal court against

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

regarding a scene that appeared in the pilot episode of the network's TV series '' Heroes''. The scene depicted Claire Bennet reaching into an active garbage disposal, severely injuring her hand. Emerson's suit claims the scene "casts the disposer in an unsavory light, irreparably tarnishing the product" by suggesting that serious injuries will result "in the event consumers were to accidentally insert their hand into one." Emerson asked for a ruling barring future broadcasts of the pilot and to block NBC from using any Emerson trademarks in the future. On February 23, 2007, the case was dropped. NBC Universal and Emerson Electric settled the lawsuit outside of court.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1890 establishments in Missouri American companies established in 1890 Companies based in St. Louis County, Missouri Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Companies in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Electric motor manufacturers Electrical engineering companies of the United States Electronics companies established in 1890 Electronics companies of the United States Manufacturing companies based in Missouri Multinational companies headquartered in the United States Power tool manufacturers Tool manufacturing companies of the United States