Square D is an American manufacturer of

electrical equipment Electrical devices or electric devices are devices that functionally rely on electric energy ( AC or DC) to operate their core parts (electric motors, transformers, lighting, rechargeable batteries, control electronics). They can be contraste ...

headquartered in

Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was Settler, settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''Encyclopedia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed. ...

. Square D is a flagship brand of

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 ...

, which acquired the company in 1991. The company was listed on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

for 55 years prior to its acquisition without reporting financial loss in any calendar quarter, paying out 220 consecutive quarterly dividends to shareholders.

History

The company was founded on December 15, 1902 by Bryson Dexter Horton and James B. McCarthy. In 1903 they incorporated as the McBride Manufacturing Company. During the first decade of business, the company expanded into various other electrical products. In 1908, the company was renamed Detroit Fuse and Manufacturing. Horton, an 1895

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

graduate of the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, was credited with the invention of the safety switch, which encased high voltage switches and started the company's main line of business of circuit breakers and encased control panels. Their first enclosed safety switch was introduced in 1909. Soon after their renaming to Detroit Fuse and Manufacturing, the company adopted their famous logo — a capital " letter D" for

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, enclosed in a square. The logo was stamped on all Square D's switches and products. The combination of an easily remembered

monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbo ...

logo and their great popularity resulted in customers referring to their products as "Square D". Consequently, the company trademarked the logo and in 1917 they renamed the company Square D. Horton served as Square D's president until 1928 In the early 1920s Square D sold the majority of their fuse business in order to focus more on their safety switches and other safety products; advertisements with the tagline "Jones is Dead!" directed public attention to the lethal hazard of exposed electrical switches in factories. Square D hoped to capitalize on the growing concern of factory safety. By 1929, Square D merged with a Milwaukee-based industrial controller company and began producing Westinghouse-licensed

circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an electrical safety device designed to protect an Electrical network, electrical circuit from damage caused by current in excess of that which the equipment can safely carry (overcurrent). Its basic function is to interr ...

s. In 1935 Square D began producing its own range of circuit breakers for both commercial and residential uses. In 1991, the company was acquired and became a subsidiary of

. In 2003, the Square D by Schneider Electric brand celebrated its 100th anniversary. Today the company produces several lines of circuit breakers for domestic, commercial, and industrial applications.

Gallery

File:Square D plant in Detroit.png, The Square D plant on Rivard Street in

, 1920. File:Milwaukee August 2024 057 (Square D Company-Industrial Controller Division--Junior House Lofts).jpg, Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division building in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

File:1917 square d enclose safety switch.png, A 1917 Square D enclosed 3-pole safety switch, utilizing cartridge fuses. File:SquareD SafetySwitchAd JonesIsDead 1921.jpg, SquareD "Jones is Dead!" advertisement, 1921 File:Square D 20-Amp Double-Pole Breaker.JPG, A modern 20-ampere double-pole Square D

References

External links

{{Commons category, Square D
Square D products at Schneider Electric
Electrical wiring and construction supplies manufacturers Companies based in Essex County, Massachusetts History of Detroit American companies established in 1902 Electronics companies established in 1902 Schneider Electric 1991 mergers and acquisitions 1917 establishments in Michigan