HISTORY & MILESTONES
The Fostoria Process Equipment Division of TPI Corporation is the oldest and largest manufacturer of infrared process oven equipment. Fostoria’s roots date back to 1917, when the Fostoria Pressed Steel Corp. was founded in Fostoria, OH. The company manufactured and marketed replacement fenders and running boards for the automotive aftermarket. With their extensive metalworking capabilities, Fostoria branched into industrial work lights in the early 1930's. Later in the 1930's, Fostoria branched into the science of electric infrared emitters and infrared oven design, using their experience in lighting and reflector design, along with their experience manufacturing automotive parts. This infrared knowledge was initially and extensively applied to the curing of paint coatings on automobiles and aftermarket parts, and eventually flourished with its practical application in a variety of markets.
|
In the late 1950s, Fostoria applied their expertise in electric infrared to develop a full line of electric IR comfort heaters, and was the first in the design of this equipment. The infrared process heat and comfort heat product lines were then separated into two distinct manufacturing and marketing arms, and the Fostoria Process Heat Division continued the design and sales of industrial process oven equipment to many vertical markets.
Examples of Fostoria equipment manufactured from the 1950's to the 1970's - in a variety of applications.
In early 1974, the entire Fostoria operation, which included process heating, lighting and comfort heating divisions, was acquired by TPI Corporation, head quartered in Johnson City, TN. TPI Corp. was and remains a leader in the manufacture of industrial and commercial heating and ventilating products (see www.tpicorp.com). Fostoria continued operations in Fostoria, OH for several decades, as the comfort heating and lighting lines were assimilated into TPI’s marketing through their established distributor network. The Fostoria Process Heat Division continued to manufacture and market quality process oven systems as a separate division in OH.
Examples of equipment built and designed from the 1980's to the 2000's
The newly named Fostoria Process Equipment Division of TPI Corp. continued to design, fabricate and market the same quality oven systems, with only a brief interruption for the physical move. Today, Fostoria continues the strong tradition of building quality process heat oven systems, and realizes the additional benefits available from marketing all the complementary products in TPI’s standard heating and ventilating divisions.
Fostoria Process Equipment wants to thank all our customers and partners we have worked with over the years. Manufacturing industrial systems requires that we earn the customer’s confidence, and that we will stand behind our equipment, and partner with them to improve their production and efficiency. We look forward to working with our past, current and future customers, to continue this tradition.