American Standard Inc.

Beautifully engraved certificate from the American Standard Inc. issued in 1968. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of scientists with a city skyline in the background. This item has the printed signatures of the Company’s President and Secretary and is over 35 years old.










Certificate Vignette



American Standard is a global manufacturer with market leading positions in three businesses: air conditioning systems and service, sold under the Trane® and American Standard® brands for commercial, institutional and residential buildings; bath and kitchen products, sold under such brands as American Standard® and Ideal Standard®; and vehicle control systems, including electronic braking and air suspension systems, sold under the WABCO® name to the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks, buses, SUVs and luxury cars. The company employs approximately 60,000 people and has manufacturing operations in 27 countries. American Standard is included in the S&P 500.

American Standard was created from the 1929 merger of the American Radiator Company and the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. Through these companies and others, American Standard traces its lineage to several pioneering businesses established during the Industrial Revolution of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Since its founding, American Standard has acquired and divested several businesses. Two acquisitions have been developed, however, into core businesses for the Company.

• In 1968, American Standard acquired Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO), a manufacturer of railway and commercial vehicle braking systems. This acquisition came to form what is now the Company's Automotive Products division.

• The Trane Company, a manufacturer of heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment and building comfort management systems, was acquired by American Standard in 1984. With this acquisition, the Company gained its Air Conditioning Products division.

In 1988, American Standard was the target of a hostile takeover bid by the Black & Decker Company. A management led buyout resulted in American Standard becoming a privately-held corporation. To finance the buyout, American Standard divested several businesses including the railway braking portion of its then Transportation Products division..

American Standard reemerged as a publicly-traded company in February 1995.