SOUTH BEND, IN — RACO, part of Hubbell Incorporated, this year celebrates its 100th anniversary as a company and its 40th year as a Hubbell brand. This makes it one of the oldest brands in the electrical industry, creating innovative products for electrical rough-in and retrofit applications.
RACO started in 1921 as the Roach Appleton Manufacturing Company near Chicago, Illinois. Walter Roach and Ernest Appleton founded the company to make steel switch boxes and outlet boxes. Nine years later, they moved the company to South Bend, Indiana.
The original name was abbreviated to RACO and trademarked in 1924. RACO was officially adopted as the company name in 1972. Hubbell acquired the company in 1981.
Today RACO is one of the largest steel box manufacturers in North America. Each year the highly automated plant produces 92 million parts. That’s more than enough steel boxes to line them up from coast to coast across the United States and back again!
The brand continues to focus on innovation, quality and service. Professional electricians count on Hubbell RACO electrical boxes, fittings and accessories to save installation time and improve performance in commercial and residential construction.
Steve Johnson, Vice President of Engineering and Product Management, commented, “We’re proud to create products that electricians count on. Our history of innovation demonstrates our commitment to them and there is more to come.”
The brand caps a century of progress by celebrating the dual anniversaries throughout 2021. Find more information at: www.hubbell.com.
