The Cooper-Bessemer Co. was formed in the 1920's by the merger of the C & G Cooper & Co. of Mount Vernon, OH and the Bessemer Gas Engine Co. of Grove City, PA.
In 1929 Cooper merged with Bessemer Gas Engine Co. of Grove City, PA, to form Cooper-Bessemer Co. The name subsequently changed to Cooper Industries. The moved their headquarters to Houston, TX, in 1967. In 1989 they acquired Cameron Iron Works of Houston, the name of the corporation continued as Cooper Industries with Cameron operating as the Cooper Oil Tools division. In 1995, Cooper Industries spun off its Petroleum & Industrial Equipment business which included the Cooper-Bessemer and Cameron brands (among others) into a new company named the Cooper Cameron Corporation, which has since been renamed Cameron International Corporation. Cameron is in the process of selling its reciprocating compression business (which includes the Cooper-Bessemer product line, among others) to GE Oil & Gas, a division of General Electric with projected completion of the sale in 3rd quarter of 2014.
Information Sources
- American Steam Engine Builders: 1800-1900 by Kenneth L. Cope, 2006 page
- American Gasoline Engines Since 1872 by C. H. Wendel, Volume #1, 1983 page 109
- The Complete Guide to Stationary Gas Engines by Mark Meincke, 1996 page 107