Sta-Rite History
WE’VE BEEN MOVING AND IMPROVING WATER SINCE 1934
Sta-Rite® was founded over 75 years ago in Delavan, Wisconsin (USA) by William C Heath, then President of the A.O. Smith Corporation. From the beginning, Heath was driven to produce pumps “built right to stay right” – which, of course, led to the Sta-Rite name. Heath’s success with Jets & Centrifugals in the early years led the company to quickly expand into 4” submersible pumps & motors. Today, Sta-Rite sells a wide range of pumps, motors, tanks, controls, and accessories in over 100 countries around the world.
Important Dates in Sta-Rite History:
- 1934 – Sta-Rite founded, opens above a drug store in Delavan, WI
- 1956 – Manufactures first 4”, 6”, and 8” submersible well pumps
- 1970’s – Diversifies into Dairy, Communications, and Fluid Power products
- 1982 – Sta-Rite acquired by WICOR Industries, goes "public' on the NYSE
- 1985 – Purchases Flotec®, a retail pump line, in order to gain entry into the DIY market
- 1986 - Purchases the Berkeley® pump company from Transamerica
- 1991 – Sta-Rite divests all non-water-related businesses in order to focus on our core strength
- 1999 – Purchases Simer® brand of retail pumps, a leader in pumps for the hardware and home center markets
- 2002 – Sta-Rite acquires Aermotor® brand of complementary products (including 4” submersibles, jet pumps, centrifugals, and accessories).
- 2004 – Acquired by water industry leader Pentair, Inc. to form a global water technology business to serve multiple industries worldwide.
- 2011 – Today, Pentair® and Sta-Rite continue to strengthen its offering in water technology, developing innovative solutions to bear on the world's ever-increasing water consumption needs.