 |
|
|
Visit us at NPE2009 in Chicago, Illinois on June 22-26, 2009 at McCormick Place, booth 60026
More Information >
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Our Start
Sweco was founded in 1917 in Los Angeles, CA as the Southwestern Engineering Company, an ore milling and mining equipment designer and manufacturer. The first Sweco facility consisted of a one room office, one room laboratory and a small factory where they manufactured mining equipment.
After the First World War, the company moved the factory to Culver City, CA and looked to expand their product line. Since many of the power plants near the mines were steam plants, Southwestern saw a need for heat exchangers that could be used as intercoolers and aftercoolers. Therefore, they began manufacturing heat transfer equipment. Additionally, as a side line they actually made tractors based on the Ford Model T motor. After making only five tractors, they discontinued the tractor business.
Vibratory Separators and More
 In 1939 G.H. Meinzer developed the first vibratory separators. Southwestern patented Meinzer's design in 1942 and began manufacturing vibratory screen separators. In 1955, the company patented the modern vibratory separator. Having successfully manufactured grinding and finishing mills utilizing the same unique patented vibratory motion from the screen separators, Southwestern sold its heat transfer division in 1969 and renamed the newly formed entity -- a process and finishing mill equipment company -- Sweco, Inc.
Sweco's worldwide prominence in circular vibratory screening led to another major breakthrough in 1972. Working jointly with a leading oil company, equipment was developed to remove drilled solids from weighted and unweighted muds. The Sweco mud cleaner solved a problem that had plagued the oil and gas drilling industry for years and provided significant reductions in drilling costs. By 1973 the company's Oilfield Service Division was established, and Sweco began to expand its rental, sales and servicing of oilfield equipment throughout the world. Also that same year, the company greeted a new location when it opened a manufacturing plant for finishing mills in Florence, KY. Fifteen years later, in 1988, the company moved its corporate headquarters to Florence as well.
Ownership
In 1979, the Emerson Electric Company purchased Sweco, and under its leadership, the company made immense progress. The company's development, including the production of a rectangular separator, among other various pieces of equipment, has greatly influenced and enhanced the industry for years. Although Emerson decided to sell Sweco's aforementioned Oilfield Services division in 1987 due to an oilfield business downturn in the early 1980s, Sweco's influence within the industry did not diminish.
On December 15, 2000 M-I SWACO purchased Sweco from Emerson for its experience in the separation and oilfield industries. M-I SWACO, a joint venture between Smith International and Schlumberger Limited, is a worldwide company representing a wide array of businesses involved in drilling, reservoir drill-in and completion fluids and associated services for the petroleum industry. By purchasing Sweco, M-I SWACO automatically acquired separation technology that helps to recover drilling fluid after it is used. With this technology, Sweco has continued to surge within the oilfield industry.
Acquisition
In August of 2007, Sweco expanded its product line by acquiring Ecutec Barcelona S.L., a company that specializes in classifying, coating and grinding of fine and ultra-fine powders from 300 microns down to 1 micron. As a strong engineering company, Ecutec designs air classifiers, fine grinding equipment and complete turnkey systems for fine dry processing. These technologies significantly broadened Sweco's reach in dry processing by expanding the company's breadth of capabilities to the one micron range.
Sweco Today
From humble beginnings in a small one room office, Sweco has grown to be a world leader in particle-separation and size-reduction solutions with over 100 service offices and 13 manufacturing locations around the world.  Sweco manufactures some of the most technologically advanced products on the market today, and to maintain its position within the industry, Sweco continuously develops innovative, new technologies; employs responsive and proficient sales support teams; and engineers and manufactures equipment charged with quality, value and dependability. Whatever your separation, sizing or finishing requirements, Sweco's tradition of innovation will be your solution.
For over 65 years Sweco has been solving your separation challenges with breakthrough technologies such as our patented Vibro-Energy™ motion.
You can be certain that Sweco will be there to help solve many more of your challenges for the next 65 years and beyond.
|
|
Sweco World
Headquarters,
Florence, KY USA
More Information >
|
|
|
Sign up for our eNewsletter and/or sign up for eCommerce on MySweco.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
