Allen Bradley Reliance

Allen-Bradley Reliance, now part of Rockwell Automation, has a rich history dating back to 1903 when Lynde Bradley and Dr. Stanton Allen founded the Compression Rheostat Company. The company was renamed Allen-Bradley in 1910 and quickly expanded during World War I due to government-contracted work. Over the years, Allen-Bradley developed a wide range of industrial automation products, including automatic starters, switches, circuit breakers, relays, and other electric equipment. By the 1920s, nearly 50% of the company's sales were attributed to the radio department. The company continued to innovate, introducing the first solenoid starter in 1934 and pioneering programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the 1970s. In 1985, Rockwell International acquired Allen-Bradley for $1.651 billion, integrating it into Rockwell Automation. Today, Rockwell Automation specializes in power, control, and information systems, offering a comprehensive range of products and services designed to enhance industrial automation and digital transformation.