History of Honeywell Turbo
It was in the middle of America's Great Depression when young Cliff Garrett formed his company in a tiny, one-room office in Los Angeles in 1936. One year later, with customers totaling 130, the entrepreneur moved his growing business to a new location. By the end of the 1930s, the company's first product, an all- aluminum aircraft intercooler, had been built.
Although only four years old at the outset of the WWII, the fledgling company made an impact. Boeing's B-17 bombers, credited with a major difference in the air war in Europe and the Pacific, were outfitted with Garrett intercoolers. By the end of the 1940’s, postwar planning had paid off with a listing on the NYSE.
The fifties were marked by Garrett's diversification and expansion. On the industrial side, the first T-15 Turbocharger was delivered to the Caterpillar Company. It was followed by an order for 5,000 production units, leading to the formation of the AiResearch Industrial Division.
In 1963, the board announced its intent to merge with Signal Oil and Gas Company (later, of course, The Signal Companies). While aviation products for the civil market and the Defense Department continued as the foundation of the firm's overall business, ground transportation became a key market too.
In the next decade, the biggest automotive news was the 1977 announcement that the 1978 Buick Regal and Le Sabre sports coupes would be turbocharged by Garrett.
As the eighties unfolded, however, products and technologies weren't the only changes occurring. The most significant was the merger of Allied Corporation and the Signal Companies into a single entity, Allied-Signal, Inc.
In the 90’s, Garrett Engine Boosting Systems experienced continued growth in its turbo business, propelled by strong demand for VNT™ turbos in Europe, where more and more passenger cars were powered by turbo diesel. In 1999, and its expansion in Asia. It became part of Honeywell after the merger of AlliedSignal and Honeywell.
In 2004, its business name was formally changed to Honeywell Turbo Technologies, while Garrett® has been retained as a product brand.