History of Philco

Philco’s roots date back to 1892 when the Heilos Electric Company was founded in Philadelphia.  Its primary product then was the storage battery, and in 1906 the company changed its name to the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company and adopted the abbreviated name Philco.  Its history as an exporter goes back as far back as 1916 when it began exporting Philco batteries to Great Britain and Latin America under the Philco trademark.

Several significant dates and events marked Philco’s place in the appliance industry.  Here are some of them:

1920’s and 1930’s:
Business expanded so rapidly that subsidiaries were established and production licenses issued around the world.  Argentina, Canada and Great Britain became productive extensions of the Philco name.  Philco became famous for that period included the first hermetically sealed room air conditioner and the use of foam in refrigerator insulation.
1940: Company name is officially changed to Philco Corporation.
1943: Philco International Company is established and begins direct export selling.
1951: Introduced two-door refrigerator/freezer with fully automatic defrosting.
1954: Philco purchases two pioneer appliance brands, Bendix and Crosley.  This adds a laundry line and more advanced refrigerator design.
1957: Introduced space-saving washer/dryer.
1958: Philco Italia is established.
1961: Philco becomes subsidiary of Ford Motor Company.
1973: Introduced one-piece molded plastic refrigerator liner, Cold Guard.
1977: Philco International is purchased by White Consolidated Industries.
1986: WCI purchase by AB Electrolux of Sweden.
1988: Philco International sales office moves to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1996: All U.S. manufacturing facilities are ISO9000 certified.
1998: Introduced the AquaPure Ice & Water Filtration System in side-by-side refrigerators.