Our History

Harry Gear and Paul Williams, two Commonwealth Edison engineers, had a novel idea for connecting underground and overhead electrical circuits. From their first location on Jackson Boulevard in Chicago, G&W Electric introduced its first disconnecting pothead and began developing products to meet the changing needs of the power industry. What began as a small Chicago machine shop laid the foundation for more than a century of innovation.

As cities grew and electricity use expanded, G&W Electric continued developing new products and expanding its operations. The company introduced manual oil switches and established an aluminum and brass foundry, eventually moving to its largest facility yet on Dante Avenue in Chicago. G&W Electric also began exhibiting at industry tradeshows as the company continued to grow its presence in the electrical industry.

G&W Electric continued to grow through the economic challenges of the Great Depression, expanding its line of switch products and adapting to changing industry needs. With the start of World War II, the company expanded its manufacturing operations to support the Allied effort, producing specialty equipment including ship fittings, aircraft bomb sights and radar switches. These years demonstrated G&W Electric’s ability to adapt and continue serving its customers through times of significant change.

Postwar growth brought increased demand for G&W Electric products and led to another expansion, with the company moving to a larger facility in Blue Island, Illinois. Pearson “Pep” Williams, son of founder Paul Williams, became president, ushering in a new era for the company and a fresh new look. Through the 1960s, G&W Electric continued expanding its facilities and product offerings, including the introduction of its first submersible SF6 switch and the opening of a new high-voltage test laboratory.

G&W Electric entered a new era of modernization under the leadership of Pearson “Spike” Williams II and John D. Mueller. The company introduced computerized order entry, scheduling, manufacturing and engineering systems while continuing to advance its products and operations. During the 1980s, G&W Electric expanded its global presence, introduced a new corporate identity and continued advancing its high-voltage technology.

The 1990s brought new leadership and continued international growth for G&W Electric. James Acree became president in 1991 and was named vice chairman in 1994, when John H. Mueller assumed the role of president. The company achieved ISO 9001 certification in 1993, reinforcing its commitment to quality, and expanded its global presence with the opening of its Shanghai facility in 1997. That same year, G&W Electric launched its first website, marking an important step into the digital era.

The new century brought continued international growth and new technologies for an evolving power grid. G&W Electric achieved ISO 14001 certification in 2002 and opened a new facility in Mexico in 2008. The company also introduced the LaZer® Automation System, Viper® automated overhead switch and Trident Switchgear, while adopting the tagline “Engineered to Order. Built to Last.” in 2009.

G&W Electric continued its growth with major investments in its facilities, technology and global operations. The company moved its headquarters to a new facility in Bolingbrook, Illinois, in 2012 and opened its Canadian facility in 2015. During the decade, G&W Electric introduced Trident® with SafeVu®, the first switch with a visible break feature and solid-dielectric insulation, while CLiP®-LV received UL 3801 recognition for fault limiter applications in 2018. Acquisitions of Tozzi Electrical and Altea Sensors in Italy further expanded G&W Electric’s global capabilities.

G&W Electric continues to build on more than a century of innovation while expanding its capabilities to support the evolving power grid. The company completed its campus microgrid in 2022, introduced the Viper®-HV sub-transmission recloser, expanded its Mexico operations with a new facility in 2024, and continued growing its operations in Italy and the United States. In 2026, G&W Electric acquired Safegrid, expanding its capabilities in intelligent grid monitoring, while a new 291,305-square-foot facility in Romeoville, Illinois, further increased manufacturing capacity and supported continued growth.