Janette Manufacturing Co. was established in Chicago in 1910 by John T. Janette, as a manufacturer of generators and fractional horsepower motors. Over the next few decades they also made blowers, speed reducers and motor generators, among other products. By 1919 they were also manufacturing bench grinders and tool grinders. That product line seems to have lasted for a couple of decades before being phased out in favor of more specialized products—speed reducers, control actuators, etc.—where Janette was more competitive. Similarly, their line of fractional horsepower motors seems to have been dropped by about 1950.
At some point Janette Mfg. Co. was reportedly acquired by Victor Adding Machine Co. In 1949 the Janette fan and blower division was acquired from Victor by John I. Janette, son of John T. Janette. That division was moved to Richmond, Ill., becoming Jan-Air, Inc., which remains in business as of 2020, manufacturing centrifugal fans and blowers. Meanwhile, in June 1950 the rest of the business was acquired by Gerity-Michigan Corp., becoming Janette Electric Manufacturing Co. Less then two years later they relocated to larger premises in Morton Grove.
After that period the trail grows cold. At some point, Janette's line of control actuators was acquired by Leeds & Northrup, which was in turn acquired by Honeywell.
Information Sources
- American Machinist, 19 Apr 1919 pg 765, lists Janette Manufacturing Co. as an Electric Motor and Bench Grinder manufacturer.
- EMF electrical year book, Volume 1, 1921 page 484, lists Janette Manufacturing Co. as an Electric Motor and Bench Grinder manufacturer.
- 1924 Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations: "Janette Manufacturing Company, 556-558 W. Monroe St., Chicago / (president) John T. Janette, 782 Vernon Ave., Glencoe / (secretary) A. E. Klunder, 1531 Spencer Ave., Wilmette / (capital stock) $150,000".
- A 1930 appeal of a patent interference case involves John T. Janette and provides some insight into the operation of Janette and his business.
- 1946 book A Chronological History of Electrical Development (PDF) lists Janette Manufacturing Co. as a member and notes that it was founded 1910 and John T. Janette was founder and first president.
- 1952-05-30 Business Week, p. 160.
The expansion of Janette Electric Mfg. Co.
Janette Electric Mfg. Co., Gerity-Michigan Corporation's recently acquired subsidiary, has already outgrown its old home and moved into this spacious modern plant at Morton Grove, Illinois. Here the combination of Gerity-Michigan resources and Janette engineering skill responsible for such rapid growth will be more effective than ever. In the great new plant with its up-to- the-minute production facilities, Janette's fine products can now be turned out at rates far better adjusted to the expanding markets.
With the acquisition in June, 1950, of this well known builder of gear motors, converters, motor generators and speed reducers, Gerity-Michigan embarked on an ambitious, far-reaching plan of product diversification. In addition to the acquisition and expansion of the Janette operations, Gerity-Michigan has just completed the erection of a new magnesium foundry in Adrian, Michigan for their wholly owned subsidiary, Gerity Magnesium Corp. Substantial government contracts are at present being fulfilled and it is anticipated there will be additional capacity for an ever increasing civilian demand for magnesium...
This universal demand for Janette products, and a determination to better serve their customers, is the justification for more than doubling present capacity.
The addition of Janette to the Gerity-Michigan family is a further indication of the parent company's vitality and its determination to proceed with diversification, sales and merchandising policies which daily prove their value to company and customers alike.
- A 2008 discussion in a Control Automation forum indicates that Janette's line of control actuators was acquired by Leeds & Northrup—who rebranded the line as Herculine—and L&N was then acquired by Honeywell. As of 2009 the 11xxx series had been discontinued but the 10xxxx series was still in production by Honeywell. A search of the Honeywell Industrial Automation and Control website confirmed that the 10xxx series is still available.
- Thanks to Diane R. Starrett, grand-daughter of John T. Janette, who provided some corrections and additions. Her cousin, James M. Janette, was involved in Jan Air and was able to fill in Janette company history that Diane relayed to us. It was Jim who said that Janette Manufacturing Co. was acquired by Victor Adding Machine.