Worthington's 170 Year History of
"Forward Thinking Machinery"
Henry R. Worthington began experimenting with steam canal boat operations on the Erie Canal. With a mechanical hydraulic engineering background, Worthington designed and implemented his first invention.
The Automatic Independent Water Reciprocating Pump was the first of its kind. It broke the tradition of using a hand pump to feed the steam engines when the boat was in rest. This first pump was in service for 30 years.
Worthington and William H. Baker joined together to create William and Baker, located in a rented out little old wooden 30’ by 60’ building.
The company’s main focus in manufacturing was to build steam pumps and pumping engines.
Baker and Worthington moved their facilities to establish a pump-manufacturing plant at Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn, New York.
After William Baker’s passing in 1960, H.R. Worthington took sole ownership of the company.
Worthington perfected a duplex steam feed pump and in the following year, built the first water-works engine. This pump embodied one of the most ingenious advances in engineering in the 19th century due to the principle becoming widely applied nationwide.
Over the next two decades, 80 municipalities in the U.S were using this pump in their waterworks operations.
A new partnership called Henry R. Worthington, or Worthington Hydraulic Pump Works, was formed in 1862.
The U.S. Navy employed Worthington to design bilge pumps for the various ships commissioned during the Civil War. Most notably was the pump used on the USS Monitor.
After Henry Worthington died in 1880, he was succeeded by his son, Charles Campbell Worthington.
While head of the company, Worthington contributed many useful improvements to pumps, compressors, and other machines.
In 1885, Charles seized an opportunity to produce 10 high- pressured pumps designed to deliver water to General Gordon’s British Expeditionary Army in Khartoum, Sudan.
The Worthington engine was used and implemented into the Eiffel Tower to help carry water to a level of 918 feet for the hydraulic elevator service can be implemented in its design.
Worthington supplied a tandem steam pumps at the base of the Tower’s south pier. This is the only American part used in the construction of the tower.
Benjamin Guggenheim founded the International Steam Pump Company (ISPC).
The ISPC merged Blake and Knowles Steam Pump Works, Ltd. (BKSPW), Worthington Pump Works and other companies that together made up a large part of total American capacity for making steam pumps.
Guggenheim founded a factory in Milwaukee to manufacture mining machinery, which was later merged into the ISPC.
Guggenheim died on board the RMS Titanic. This started a chain of financial woes for the ISPC.
In 1917 the independent but associated British Worthington Pump Co. changed its name to Worthington Simpson.
Demand for huge engine compressors wanedbut Worthington kept up with the market by designing an angle-type integral gas engine compressor with vertical power cylinders and horizontal compressors.
The American Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation purchased a huge stake of Worthington-Simpson.
Worthington’s newest two-stage double acting compression design was the most energy saving construction since a few of the original designs.
The Y Compressor became the symbol of Worthington in the 40’s and 50’s.
In 1952, the company became known as the Worthington Corporation.
As of 1956, the Worthington Corporation had laboratories in Harrison, Holyoke, and Buffalo.
The labs employed five chemists, forty engineers, four mathematicians, four metallurgists, two physicists, and thirty-five others. They conducted research into hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, mechanics, and materials.
In 1964, Worthington purchased the American Locomotive Company (ALCO).
In 1967,DeraldRuttenberg, an entrepreneur, devised a plan to merge the struggling car manufacturer Studebaker, Wagner Electric who owned Studebaker, and Worthington to form Studebaker-Worthington.
MLW-Worthington, a Canadian locomotive company acquired under the ALCO deal, fought President Ford to end the U.S. government’s “Trading with the Enemy Act” that was restricting the sale of 25 locomotives to Cuba for $15 million. In the end, the U.S. backed down and allowed the deal.
In 1978, McGraw Edison purchased Studebaker-Worthington. During this period McGraw Edison sold off the air-cooled and the portable lines to Atlas Copco.
McGraw-Edison is eventually purchased from Cooper Industries.
Worthington has conducted valuable compressor experience and insights for over 150 years.
Its illustrious history has been filled with forward-thinking designs and implementations.
Industrial Service Solutions, Inc. (ISS) purchased Worthington Compressor. ISS offers a broad range of field, shop, and supply services across the country for various plant needs.
ISS created an action plan to put Worthington's service and parts business back into the industry, due to the growing demand for the aging Worthington compressors in manufacturing plants across America.
ISS brought Worthington into the digital age by creating ecommerce and ways for consumers to reconnect with Worthington experts.
ISS launches the first Worthington website and social media to broaden the Worthington experience.
"Worthington would like to thank you for your continuous relationship and
we look forward to growing your experience over the next 150 years."
Worthington has supplied industrial compressors for nearly 170 years. Today, we offer the complete line of spare parts for all Worthington compressors to keep these units running reliably and efficiently. We cover the gamut, whether you have a large, multi-stage, water-cooled reciprocating compressor (up to 3000 hp), or a single stage, air-cooled reciprocating compressor (down to 25 hp).
We stock more than 20,000 line items of the most commonly needed maintenance parts, like valve gaskets, valve guardsand seats, piston and rider rings, and packing and wiper rings. If your needs are more extensive, we will provide major parts as well, such as crossheads, connecting rods, crankshafts, oil pumps, pistons, piston rods, unloader assemblies, or complete cylinder assemblies. We have the capabilities to support even the most “veteran” machines in your factories, with parts, services, and technical guidance. In addition to parts and lubricants, we also provide onsite repair and maintenance services to customers around the world.
Our service technicians are available on a 24-hour basis for emergency service. Worthington personnel are highly trained and experienced in repair and service of our machines, and those of most other major manufacturers. Worthington can also provide remanufacturing of compressor equipment in our facility. We even offer no-charge tear-down inspections and quotations in our shop.
If you need Genuine OEM or a complete rebuilt compressor, we will be here for any consultative review from our experts. Quality is always at the forefront of Worthington and has been fore nearly 17 decades. Worthington Compressors has always been committed to ensuring your facilities are maintained for years to come.