Sylvania Electric Products: Difference between revisions

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In 1937 the Economic Lamp Co. of [[Malden, Massachusetts]] was acquired for 12,000 newly issued common shares. This included a license agreement with General Electric.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=142 |issue=3702 |date=6 June 1936 |title=Hygrade Sylvania Corp. – Acquisition |page=3856 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1936-06-06_142_3702/page/3856/mode/1up?q=%22Hygrade%20Sylvania%22}}</ref>

In 1937 the Economic Lamp Co. of [[Malden, Massachusetts]] was acquired for 12,000 newly issued common shares. This included a license agreement with General Electric.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=142 |issue=3702 |date=6 June 1936 |title=Hygrade Sylvania Corp. – Acquisition |page=3856 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1936-06-06_142_3702/page/3856/mode/1up?q=%22Hygrade%20Sylvania%22}}</ref>

In 1939, Hygrade Sylvania started preliminary research on fluorescent technology, and later that year, demonstrated the first linear, or tubular, [[fluorescent lamp]]. It was featured at the [[1939 New York World’s Fair]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Nilco story |url=http://www.oldchristmastreelights.com/nilco.htm |accessdate=2009-01-11}}</ref> In 1940 offered new preferred stock in a capital reorganization.{{efn|A total of 85,500 par $40 shares of the new 4.5% preferred stock were issued, 52,317.5 reserved for exchange of the remaining 20,927 shares of old $6.50 preferred (2.5 new for each old share). The rest including leftover from stock not so converted was offered at $44 per share on October 16, 1940, proceeds used for general corporate purposes. Any old stock not converted was called for redemption at $110 and interest on Jan 1, 1941.<ref name=”cfc_1940-10-19″/>}} In 1942, the company changed its name to Sylvania Electric Products Inc,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=156 |issue=4099 |date=17 August 1942 |title=Hygrade Sylvania Corp. – Change in Name |page=605 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1942-08-17_156_4099/page/605/mode/1up?q=%22Sylvania%20electric%22}}</ref> and its common stock was listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=156 |issue=4093 |date=27 July 1942 |title=Sylvania Products, Inc. – Listing |page=348 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1942-07-27_156_4093/page/348/mode/1up?q=%22sylvania%22}}</ref>

In 1939, Hygrade Sylvania started preliminary research on fluorescent technology, and later that year, demonstrated the first linear, or tubular, [[fluorescent lamp]]. It was featured at the [[1939 New York World’s Fair]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Nilco story |url=http://www.oldchristmastreelights.com/nilco.htm |accessdate=2009-01-11}}</ref> In 1940 offered new preferred stock in a capital reorganization.{{efn|A total of 85,500 par $40 shares of the new 4.5% preferred stock were issued, 52,317.5 reserved for exchange of the remaining 20,927 shares of old $6.50 preferred (2.5 new for each old share). The rest including leftover from stock not so converted was offered at $44 per share on October 16, 1940, proceeds used for general corporate purposes. Any old stock not converted was called for redemption at $110 and interest on Jan 1, 1941.<ref name=”cfc_1940-10-19″/>}} , the company changed its name to Sylvania Electric Products Inc<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=156 |issue=4099 |date=17 August 1942 |title=Hygrade Sylvania Corp. – Change in Name |page=605 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1942-08-17_156_4099/page/605/mode/1up?q=%22Sylvania%20electric%22}}</ref> its common stock on the [[New York Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=156 |issue=4093 |date=27 July 1942 |title=Sylvania Products, Inc. – Listing |page=348 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1942-07-27_156_4093/page/348/mode/1up?q=%22sylvania%22}}</ref>

During World War II, Sylvania was chosen from among several competing companies to manufacture the miniature [[vacuum tube]]s used in [[proximity fuze]] shells due to its quality standards and mass production capabilities.<ref name=”(Captain.)(Amiral.)1963″>{{Cite book |last1=Linwood S. Howeth (Captain.) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E409YAAACAAJ |title=History of Communications-electronics in the United States Navy … |last2=Chester William Nimitz (Amiral.) |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |year=1963 |pages=437–}}</ref>

During World War II, Sylvania was chosen from among several competing companies to manufacture the miniature [[vacuum tube]]s used in [[proximity fuze]] shells due to its quality standards and mass production capabilities.<ref name=”(Captain.)(Amiral.)1963″>{{Cite book |last1=Linwood S. Howeth (Captain.) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E409YAAACAAJ |title=History of Communications-electronics in the United States Navy … |last2=Chester William Nimitz (Amiral.) |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |year=1963 |pages=437–}}</ref>

Sylvania raised $10 million with an October 1945 sale of its new $4 preferred stock.{{efn|100,000 shares of no-par $4 cumulative preferred were offered to the public at $104 per share to yield for the company $10,119,640. Proceeds to be used to retire $3,770,000 face amount of 3.25% debentures due June 1, 1957 using $3,864,250 in cash and the rest for expansions to meet estimated demand and for general corporate purposes. The preferred had a sinking fund of 2% of net income not to exceed $50,000 per year and was callable at $106.50 and interest. At the time there were 1,200,000 no-par common shares authorized and 1,005,000 outstanding.<ref name=”cfc_1945-10-22″>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=162 |issue=4431 |date=22 October 1945 |title=Sylvania Electric Products, Inc. – Preferred Stock Offered |page=1931 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1945-10-22_162_4431/page/n50/mode/1up?q=%22Sylvania%20Electric%22}}</ref> The stock was listed on the NYSE.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=162 |issue=4449 |date=24 December 1945 |title=Sylvania Electric Products, Inc. – Listing of Preferred |page=3121 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1945-12-24_162_4449/page/3121/mode/1up?q=%22Sylvania%20Electric%22}}</ref>}}

Sylvania raised $10 million with an October 1945 sale of its new $4 preferred stock.{{efn|100,000 shares of no-par $4 cumulative preferred were offered to the public at $104 per share to yield for the company $10,119,640. Proceeds to be used to retire $3,770,000 face amount of 3.25% debentures due June 1, 1957 using $3,864,250 in cash and the rest for expansions to meet estimated demand and for general corporate purposes. The preferred had a sinking fund of 2% of net income not to exceed $50,000 per year and was callable at $106.50 and interest. At the time there were 1,200,000 no-par common shares authorized and 1,005,000 outstanding.<ref name=”cfc_1945-10-22″>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=162 |issue=4431 |date=22 October 1945 |title=Sylvania Electric Products, Inc. – Preferred Stock Offered |page=1931 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1945-10-22_162_4431/page/n50/mode/1up?q=%22Sylvania%20Electric%22}}</ref> The stock was listed on the NYSE.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Commercial and Financial Chronicle |volume=162 |issue=4449 |date=24 December 1945 |title=Sylvania Electric Products, Inc. – Listing of Preferred |page=3121 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_commercial-and-financial-chronicle_1945-12-24_162_4449/page/3121/mode/1up?q=%22Sylvania%20Electric%22}}</ref>}}

American electronics manufacturer

Sylvania Electric Products Inc.

Formerly	Hygrade Sylvania Corporation (1931–1942)
Industry	Electronics
Predecessors	NILCO Sylvania Hygrade Lamp Company
Founded	1931; 94 years ago (1931)[a]
Defunct	1959 (1959)
Fate	Merged with General Telephone
Successor	General Telephone and Electronics (GTE)

Sylvania Electric Products Inc. was an East Coast American manufacturer of diverse electrical equipment, including at various times incandescent light bulbs, vacuum tubes, fluorescent lamps, radio transceivers, television sets, semiconductors, and mainframe computers such as MOBIDIC. They were one of the companies involved in the development of the COBOL programming language.

History

The Hygrade Sylvania Corporation was formed with the 1931 merger of the Nilco Lamp Works, Inc., Sylvania Products Co. and #Hygrade Lamp Company with Hygrade Lamp as the surviving company (renamed June 29, 1931^[1]) acquiring the properties in exchange for 5,500 shares of its convertible preferred and 75,000 of its common stock (new total 23,800 pfd and 192,684 common). Hygrade and Nilco manufactured incandescent lamps under license from General Electric, Hygrade and Sylvania made vacuum tubes under license from RCA. Combined revenue in 1930 was $9,000,000.^[2][3]

Between June 17, 1933 and Oct 14, 1933 employment increased from 2,511 to 4,750, weekly payroll from $57,000 to $88,000 in the company’s 4 plants (Salem, Emporium, St. Marys, Clifton with a combined floor space of 9.7 acres / 423,000sqft^[4]).^[5] The company had a total production capacity for 120,000 lamps and 100,000 tubes per day.^[4]

In 1937 the Economic Lamp Co. of Malden, Massachusetts was acquired for 12,000 newly issued common shares. This included a license agreement with General Electric.^[6]

In 1939, Hygrade Sylvania started preliminary research on fluorescent technology, and later that year, demonstrated the first linear, or tubular, fluorescent lamp. It was featured at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.^[7] In 1940 offered new preferred stock in a capital reorganization.^[b] On August 12, 1942 the company changed its name to Sylvania Electric Products Inc^[8][9] on the occasion of the listing of its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.^[10]

During World War II, Sylvania was chosen from among several competing companies to manufacture the miniature vacuum tubes used in proximity fuze shells due to its quality standards and mass production capabilities.^[11] In May 1944 Sylvania acquired the Colonial Radio Corp as a now wholly owned subsidiary, a producer of radio receivers, for $3,250,000 and raised an additional $2,850,000 with a common stock sale.^[c]

Sylvania raised $10 million with an October 1945 sale of its new $4 preferred stock.^[d]

Sylvania entered the television field with its September 9, 1949 launch of Sylvania Television branded devices (10-inch, 12.5-inch and 16-inch variants) sold at $199.95 – $449.95 and manufactured in the Colonial Radio Corp plant in Buffalo.^[15]

In 1959, Sylvania Electronics merged with General Telephone to form General Telephone and Electronics (GTE).

Sylvania developed the earliest flash cubes for still cameras, later selling the technology to Eastman Kodak Company, and later a 10-flash unit called FlipFlash, as well as a line of household electric light bulbs, which continued during GTE’s ownership, later sold off to the German manufacturer Osram, and is today marketed as Osram Sylvania.

In June 1964, Sylvania unveiled a color TV picture tube in which europium-bearing phosphor was used for a much brighter, truer red than was possible before.^[16]

Through merger and acquisitions, the company became a significant, but never dominating supplier of electrical distribution equipment, including transformers and switchgear, residential and commercial load centers and breakers, pushbuttons, indicator lights, and other hard-wired devices. All were manufactured and distributed under the brand name GTE Sylvania, with the name Challenger used for its light commercial and residential product lines. GTE Sylvania contributed to the technological advancement of electrical distribution products in the late 1970s with several interesting product features. At the time, they were the leading supplier of vacuum cast coil transformers, manufactured in their Hampton, Virginia plant. Their transformers featured aluminum primary winding and were cast using relatively inexpensive molds, allowing them to produce cast coil transformers in a variety of KVA capacities, primary and secondary voltages and physical coil sizes, including low profile coils for mining and other specialty applications. They also developed the first medium voltage 3 phase panel that could survive a dead short across two phases. Their patented design used bus bar encapsulated in a thin coating of epoxy and then bolted together across all three phases, using special non-conductive fittings.

By 1981 GTE had made the decision to exit the electrical distribution equipment market and began selling off its product lines and manufacturing facilities. The Challenger line, mostly manufactured at the time in Jackson, Mississippi, was sold to a former officer of GTE, who used the Challenger name as the name of his new company. Challenger flourished, and was eventually sold to Westinghouse, and later Eaton Corporation. By the mid-1980s, the GTE Sylvania electrical equipment product line and name was no more.

In 1993 GTE exited the lighting business to concentrate on its core telecomms operations. The European, Asian and Latin American operations are now under the ownership of Havells Sylvania.
With the acquisition of the North American division by Osram GmbH in January 1993 Osram Sylvania Inc. was established.^[17]

Brand name

In 1981, GTE Sylvania sold the rights to the name Sylvania and Philco for use on consumer electronics equipment only, to the Netherlands‘ NV Philips. Philips wanted the Philco name as the Philco trademark precluded selling products under their own name in the United States. This marked the end of Sylvania’s TV production in Batavia, New York, USA, and Smithfield, North Carolina, USA. The Sylvania Smithfield plant later became Channel Master.
The rights to the Sylvania name in many countries are held by the U.S. subsidiary of the German company Osram.
The Sylvania brand name is owned worldwide, apart from Australia, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and the USA, by Havells Sylvania, headquartered in London.

Osram Sylvania

Osram Sylvania manufactures and markets a wide range of lighting products for homes, business, and vehicles and holds a leading share of the North American lighting market [2].
In fiscal year 2008, the company achieved sales of about 1.75 billion euros, which comprised about 38% of Osram’s total sales at the time.^[18]
Osram’s worldwide lighting businesses employed about 9,000 people at the time. In 2016, Osram spun off the general lighting business which included the North American Osram Sylvania unit into an independent company called LEDVANCE headquartered in Garching, Germany. In 2017, LEDVANCE was merged into a consortium of Chinese investment companies and the Chinese lighting manufacturer MLS under the LEDVANCE name. The North American headquarters of LEDVANCE, previously referred to as Osram Sylvania, and located in Danvers, Massachusetts, was relocated to Wilmington, Massachusetts in 2015, a town north of Boston, MA. LEDVANCE continues to use the well known Osram and Sylvania brand names in their corresponding and representative markets throughout the world.

Advertising

• From 1951 until 1956, Sylvania sponsored the game show Beat the Clock. The grand prizes on the show would be Sylvania television sets, and some consolation prizes would be Sylvania radios. Sylvania “Blue Dot ™ for sure shot” flashbulbs would be used to take a photograph of the contestants in awkward outfits or messy stunts.
• One of Sylvania’s heavily advertised TV features was a lighted perimeter mask of adjustable brightness called “HALOLIGHT”, which was purported to ease the optical transition if a viewer glanced from a dark background to the bright TV screen. Today Philips markets an Ambilight feature, lighting the wall behind a flat display to soften the viewing experience. HALOLIGHT could not be adapted for color TV, because color TV white balance (aka tracking from low to high brightness) was unpredictable. Since the white color temperature of the HALOLIGHT and the illuminated color screen could not be made equivalent, HALOLIGHT was withdrawn.
• Osram Sylvania sponsored the It’s a Small World ride at Disneyland in California with a twelve-year agreement starting in 2009.^[19] In 2014, the sponsor logo at the attraction’s entrance changed to that of Siemens, the parent company of Sylvania.

Accidents

The Sylvania Electric Products explosion, which involved scrap thorium, occurred on July 2, 1956, at their facility in Bayside, Queens, New York City.^[20][21] The incident injured nine people;^[20] one employee subsequently died of his injuries.^[22]

Hygrade Lamp Company

Was incorporated in Massachusetts on Sep 19, 1917^[1] as successor to the lamp business founded by Frank A. Poor in 1901. Manufactured incandescent light bulbs under a license agreement with General Electric Co. which expired on Dec 11, 1934. Production grew from

• 3,100,000 in 1917
• 5,600,000 in 1922
• 11,000,000 in 1928

In August 1928 acquired assets and license rights of the Vosburgh Miniature Lamp Co., which produced 5,000,000 automobile bulbs a year. This made Hygrade 3rd largest producer of large bulbs and 4th largest producer of auto bulbs.

Produced vacuum tubes since the beginning of 1928 through wholly owned subsidiary Neptron Corp. Production was moved from Beverly, Massachusetts to Salem at the end of 1928, at which time daily production totaled 1,000 tubes.^[23]

Hygrade’s main and only plant was located in Salem, Massachusetts.

In October 1928 Hygrade offered 15,500 shares of its no-par $6.50 convertible preferred at $99 and 17,000 shares of its no-par common at $39, apparently an initial public offering. All but 500 preferred shares were not new financing, but stock previously acquired from individuals. Total capitalization was

• 18,300 preferred authorized and outstanding
• 154,300 common authorized, 117,684 outstanding, 36,600 reserved for conversion of the preferred

The management consisted of Frank A. Poor, Edward J. Poor and Walter E. Poor and they and their families owned more than 50% of the company’s stock.^[24]

Company entered into a license agreement with RCA for the manufacture of vacuum tubes in May 1929, when its daily output was 5,000 and plans were in place to produce 15,000 by September 1929.^[25] Production capacity in June 1930 was 20,000 tubes per day, total sales in 1929 was 624,000 tubes and contracts entered into indicated that 1930 would surpass this number.^[26]

References

External links