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About Becker

 Company Logo Pre-1968

Company Logo 1968-1997

Company Logo  1997-2000

 

Current Company Logo

 

1955
Becker Engineering and Supply Company opens for business on January 2, 1955 as a manufacturer's representative.
The president of the company, Mr. W.P. Becker, self finances the creation of the company on an initial investment of $250. The company will grow into one of the leading manufacturers in the natural gas industry eventually known as Becker Precision Equipment. The Chicago-based company represents companies such as Okadee Valve, Palmer Instrument, Bruest and others.

BESCo Product Label

Old identification tag from BESCo Valve Regulator. Note that original company location was Chicago, Illinois. Tag circa 1960.

 

1958
BESCo and O.F. Nelson of Northern Illinois Gas collaborate to design and manufacture the first control valve regulator for the natural gas industry.
The initial control valve utilizes an Okadee sliding gate valve, Foxboro pneumatic positioner and a BESCo manufactured throttling valve actuator. The initial installation proves successful and launches Becker into its primary business focus, natural gas control valves. Becker will continue to develop new technologies for natural gas regulation and remain a leader in the industry.

Old Becker Regulators

Becker began manufacturing valve regulators using the Okadee sliding gate valve. WP Becker was employed by Okadee prior to founding Becker. The valve regulators pictured show some of the very first ball valve regulator manufactured.

 

1960
BESCo develops the first Below Grade Regulator in order to reduce noise and ambient gas heat loss. The new technology remains the optimum choice for efficient and economical noise attenuation in natural gas regulating stations. The Below Grade Regulator will develop a loyal customer base and be implemented in three continents around the world.

Early Below Grade Regulator Station

Becker pioneered the design and usage of Below Grade Regulators in 1960. Even today, the Below Grade Regulator remains one of the most efficient and economical noise attenuating systems for natural gas regulating stations.

 

1963
BESCo begins usage of ball valves as the control element and the Ball Valve Regulator is born.
The Ball Valve Regulator provides rangeability, high capacity and reliability. The widely successful Ball Valve Regulator continues to provide the most economical high capacity regulation.

Early Ball Valve Regulator

Becker began utilizing ball valves as the control element in 1963. The ball valve regulator provides superior capacity, high flow rangeability and excellent shutoff characteristics.

 

1968
Becker Engineering and Supply Company (BESCo) incorporates as Becker Precision Equipment, Inc. and relocates from Chicago to Elk Grove Village. The company moves into a 5,000 sq. ft. facility complete with a full machine shop and manufacturing facilities. Becker now transforms from a manufacturer's representative to a true manufacturer. Becker Precision Equipment will remain at 55 and 75 Randall Street for nearly 24 years while continually developing new products and new customers.

Old Becker Precision Equipment
Manufacturing Facility

Becker remained in one location for over 24 years at 75 Randall Street. Rapid growth over the past several years warranted the move our present location at 1550 Greenleaf Avenue - with over triple the manufacturing capacity.

 

1971
The Model MCV-1 Manual Control Valve is developed to provide convenient manual-pneumatic operation of the control valve.
The MCV-1 will undergo steady improvements and become one of Becker's most widely requested actuator accessories in its current incarnation as the Model MCV-3 Manual Control Valve.

MCV-3 Manual Control Valve

The Manual Control Valve began as Model MCV-1 in 1971. Manual Control Valve Model MCV-3 incorporates design improvements over the past several years. The MCV-3 is one of the most popular accessories for Becker actuators and control valve packages.

 

1975
Becker Precision Equipment doubles manufacturing facilities from 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft.
As Becker's size grow, so does it's offering of products. Becker's environmental awareness is marked with the introduction of "NB" No-Bleed technologies. The "NB" devices minimize atmospheric emissions by shutting off "bleed gas" to pneumatic valve positioners when they control valves are in full-open or full-closed positions. The "NB" devices will be only the first of long line of developments in Becker's continual dedication to lessening the natural gas industry's impact on our precious environment.

 

1981
Becker throttling valve actuators are redesigned for optimum performance and reliability.
The same design used today incorporates the a crank-arm design that insures maximum torque output necessary for throttling control valve applications. The actuator incorporates precision pneumatic pistons capable of accepting high pressure power gas which allows the use of smaller size actuators. The modular redesign of the Becker valve actuator allows easy field installation and retrofit to existing quarter valves.


About Becker Page 2