The story
The company was founded in Rockford, Illinois, in 1870 with Amos W. Woodward's invention of a non compensating mechanical waterwheel governor (U.S. patent No. 103,813). Thirty years later, his son Elmer patented the first successful mechanical compensating governor for hydraulic turbines (U.S. patent No. 583,527). In 1933, the company expanded its product line to include diesel engine controls (U.S. patent No. 2,039,507) and aircraft propeller governors (British patent No. 470,284). Woodward governors followed the rapid advancement of diesel engine applications for railroads, maritime and electrical generation in many fields. The advent of gas turbine engines for aircraft and industrial uses offered still more opportunities for Woodward designed fuel controls. And, of course, the science of electronics has added impetus to this industry.
Elmer E. Woodward conceived, designed, and developed the first successful propeller control in 1933. This model PW-34 propeller governor is on display at the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
As of 2007, Woodward Governor Company became a billion-dollar company with establishments worldwide, including Japan, China, and Europe.
In January 2011, the company announced its name change to Woodward, Inc.
A growing number of general aviation and commuter aircraft rely on Woodward designed propeller and overspeed governors for turboshaft and turboprop engines. As of September 2016, approximately 34% of the company's sales were to the defense market, including parts for the V-22 Osprey ($645,000 revenue per aircraft) and the F/A-18 ($335,000 revenue per aircraft). Some of the engines controlled by Woodward include those from Honeywell (TPE331), General Electric (CT7/T700), and Pratt & Whitney Canada (PT6A series).
In April 2018, Woodward Inc. purchased L'Orange GmbH for $859 million. This supplier of fuel-injection components for stationary, marine, offshore, and industrial engines was part of Rolls-Royce's power-systems business in Germany, the US and China. On January 12, 2020, the company announced an intent to merge with Hexcel, according to the Wall Street Journal. On April 20, it was announced the merger was called off, as a result of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID19 crisis also led to a sharp drop in revenues for Woodward, Inc.
In February 2024, a protest outside facilities in Niles, Illinois resulted in arrests of 7 men and 26 women. Protesters said that Woodward is complicit in the Gaza war and called for an end to contracts with Boeing and Israel. A previous protest in support of the Palestinian cause brought about 300 people to the facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, in November 2023.
From Wikipedia’s article on Woodward, Inc., shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.8