Prestolite Electric
# Prestolite Electric

Prestolite Electric Incorporated is a global manufacturer and supplier of alternators, starters, electrical equipment, and services to the transportation, industrial, military, marine, agricultural and construction industries. The company sells its products to United States defense agencies, OEMs, and aftermarket suppliers under the Indiel, Leece-Neville, and Prestolite Electric brand names. The company operates production and engineering facilities in China, Europe and the United States. Prestolite Electric is privately owned by Broad Ocean Motors.

## History

| 1911 | Electric Autolite was founded. The company produced a generator to power early day auto lamps. Original equipment customers: Studebaker, Packard, and Indiana Buggy Works. |
| - | - |
| 1927 | Electric Autolite acquires Prest-O-Lite Battery Company from The Union Carbide Corporation which produced automotive batteries. Electric Autolite's products were expanded to include: Starting Motors, Generators, Regulators, Ignition Systems, Wire and Cable Products, and Spark Plugs. |
| 1961 | The name "Autolite" is sold to Ford. |
| 1963 | Electric Autolite Company merges with the Merganthaler Linotype Company and the Eltra Corporation was formed. Former Autolite phase of company becomes the Prestolite Motor and Ignition Company. |
| 1980 | Eltra Corporation is acquired by the Allied Signal Corporation. |
| 1986 | Prestolite Motor and Ignition is purchased by investors, forming Prestolite Electric, Inc. |
| 1987 | July: Prestolite acquires the Leece-Neville division of Sheller-Globe Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. The Toledo, Ohio operations become part of the alternator products division. |
| 1987 | July: Prestolite acquires Beech Electric Corporation and Beech Electric California, Inc. (Formed Megatron Machinery, Division of Prestolite Remanufacturing). |
| 1987 | August: Prestolite acquires RCP Machinery Manufacturing, Inc. and Megatron Industries. |
| 1987 | November: Prestolite acquires Butec Limited in Leyland, England (Manufacturer of heavy duty alternators and starting motors). |
| 1988 | January 29: Prestolite acquires Arcade, New York, facility and automotive operations of Motorola primarily consisting of electrical instruments and alternators. |
| 1990–1994 | Cleveland, Ohio and Gainesville, Georgia plants of Leece-Neville are merged, and operations are moved to the Arcade, New York facility. |
| 1994–1997 | Prestolite Acquires Lucas Electric in UK, Argentina, and South Africa. |
| 1999 | Prestolite purchases Robert's Remanufacturing in Garfield, New Jersey. |
| 2001 | March: Prestolite Electric (Beijing) Limited "PEBL" was established. |
| 2004 | May: First Atlantic Capital acquires Prestolite from Genstar Capital Corporation. |
| 2008 | October: Prestolite sells remanufacturing operations back to Robert's Remanufacturing. |
| 2014 | January: Broad Ocean Motor acquires Prestolite Electric's China operations (PEBL) and Ophoenix Capital Management (OCM) acquires Prestolite Electric's remaining world operations. |
| 2015 | May: Broad Ocean Motors acquires Prestolite's remaining world operations (US and UK Divisions) outright. |

## The Prestolite name

The following companies have been spun off under the Prestolite name and are no longer controlled by Prestolite Electric:

* Prestolite (spark plugs) "Autolite" name sold in 1961 to the Ford Motor Company (who in turn is forced to sell it to Bendix by the early 1970s).
* Prestolite Welding Equipment, formally Hobart Brothers of Troy, Ohio.
* Prestolite Wire, division was sold in 1985.
* Prestolite Battery sold to Exide in 1997.

The following Prestolite divisions were sold to Ametek in 2000:

* Prestolite Motors (specialty direct current motors).
* Prestolite Switch (instruments, switches & contactors).
* Prestolite Power (power systems & battery chargers).
