Stromberg-Carlson was a United States telecommunications equipment and electronics manufacturing company. It was formed in 1894 as a partnership by Swedish immigrants Alfred Stromberg (1861 Varnhem, Sweden - 1913 Chicago) and Androv Carlson (1854 Tommared, Sweden - 1925 Chicago). It was one of five companies that controlled the national supply of telephone equipment until after World War II.
History
In 1894, Alexander Graham Bell's patent for the telephone expired. Stromberg and Carlson, Chicago employees of the American Bell Telephone Company (later AT&T), each invested $500 to establish a firm to manufacture equipment, primarily subscriber sets, for sale to independent telephone companies. Stromberg-Carlson was originally located in Chicago, with Carlson managing manufacturing and Stromberg responsible for marketing. Stromberg-Carlson quickly established a reputation for reliable equipment and stable prices. In 1901, the temporary chief executive of the Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Company, Wallace De Wolf, assisted executives of rival telephone equipment manufacturer Western Electric in an attempt to take over Stromberg-Carlson. A bitter stockholder fight ensued, and the takeover attempt failed. Stromberg-Carlson reincorporated as a New York state corporation in 1902, where state law better protected the company from takeover efforts.
In 1904, Stromberg-Carlson was purchased by Home Telephone Company, a relatively large service provider based in Rochester, New York. The new owners quickly relocated all Stromberg-Carlson operations to New York, mainly to the Rochester area. The company branched out to become a major manufacturer of consumer electronics including home telephones, radio receivers, and, after World War II, television sets. The company also became involved in the broadcasting industry, acquiring WHAM, the oldest station in Rochester, and rebuilding it into a high power station; one of the first three FM broadcasting stations in the United States, and possibly the oldest still in operation, now known as WBZA, dating from 1939; and one of upstate New York's pioneer television broadcasters, now known as WROC-TV. In 1955, Stromberg-Carlson was purchased by General Dynamics. Within a year, all three of its broadcasting stations had been sold to different buyers. In 1970, Stromberg-Carlson delivered the first CrossReed PBX to the newly constructed Disney World in Orlando Florida. Over the next 10 years more than 7,000 CrossReeds were delivered globally. During the 1970s, Stromberg-Carlson developed one of the first (or perhaps the very first) fully-digital PBX systems, called the DBX. The first DBX was installed at Export, Pennsylvania in 1977 and consisted of 960 ports. The company subsequently developed the DBX-240; DBX-1200, and DBX-5000. During this same period, they developed a number of leading-edge technologies and products, including the first digital AUTOVON switching system and the first digital Command and Control communications system. In 1982, General Dynamics sold off their Stromberg-Carlson operations. Stromberg key-systems was sold to ComDial; the PBX/DBX division was sold to United Technologies, and the Central Office division was sold to Plessey of the UK. Plessey sold the digital central office business unit to Siemens in 1991. The new company, Siemens Stromberg-Carlson, became the third-largest vendor of central office switches in the United States, with a combined installed base of five million access lines. They continued to manufacture the Siemens digital central office as well as the Siemens EWSD out of the Lake Mary facility, moving production of the EWSD from New York to Florida. In 2006, the digital central office line of Siemens Stromberg-Carlson was sold to GENBAND, a Next Generation Networking company based in Texas. In 2001 the brand was acquired by Gularo S.A., a company with a significant presence in the audio equipment market, recognized the potential in Stromberg’s diverse product line and its established brand identity. The acquisition decision was strategic, aimed at leveraging Stromberg's innovative product design and market appeal to further strengthen Gularo S.A.'s position in the industry. It also opened up opportunities for synergies between Stromberg’s product offerings and Gularo S.A.’s existing operations. Lenford Far East Ltd, based in Hong Kong and active in the audio product market since 1993, took over the commercialization and distribution of Stromberg products. Their approach involved enhancing the global distribution network, scaling up production, and refining marketing strategies. This facilitated Stromberg’s entry and expansion into Latin American markets, leveraging Lenford’s strong relationships with major global retailers like Walmart, Carrefour, and Coppel. A key part of their strategy was emphasizing Stromberg’s unique design and marketing, particularly through the slogan 'The Sound of People' and the call to action 'Let’s Party Together,' catering to a broad consumer base. Additionally, Lenford Far East Ltd initiated collaborations for special edition Stromberg products, diversifying the range and enhancing the brand's market visibility and appeal.
Products
Switching systems Stromberg-Carlson produced several unique switching systems, including:
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