As we celebrate our 85th anniversary, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey of ETTER Engineering—a third-generation family business that began in 1940 as a small technical sales company and has grown into a national leader in providing premium gas-fired process heating solutions and equipment.
Founded in 1940 by Herb Etter, Sr., ETTER Engineering started as a manufacturer’s sales representative firm based in Wallingford, Connecticut. The company initially focused on selling natural gas equipment, including burners, gas boosters, regulators, meters, controls, flame safeguards, boilers, ovens, and furnaces. A team of traveling salesmen supported industrial customers across the Northeast. Over time, ETTER evolved from a sales representative firm to a multi-line stocking distributor, enabling faster response times and improved service for its clients.
As the company grew, the decision was made to manufacture its own equipment. In 1980, ETTER opened a manufacturing facility in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, where it began producing industrial control panels and process heating equipment. These innovations helped reduce technical risks and provided customers with more reliable solutions. By the late 1980s, advances in the Interstate Highway System, communication tools like fax machines, and improved shipping methods made multiple regional sales offices less necessary. In 1988, ETTER consolidated operations under one roof in Cheshire, Connecticut.
In 1992, Herb Etter, Jr’s son, Tom Etter, joined the business, marking the third generation of the Etter family’s involvement in the company. Under Tom’s leadership, ETTER continued to grow and expand, hiring more design engineers, sales professionals, and shop assemblers. In 1999, Tom Etter became President, and Jon Moore Vice President, both holding those same roles today.
In 2006, ETTER seized a market opportunity and developed its own gas booster, the ENGB (ETTER Next Generation Booster), which helped drive the company’s further growth. By 2010, ETTER moved to a 15,000 square foot facility in Bristol, Connecticut, providing room for future expansion. Since then, the company has continued to grow, adding five Master Distributors across the country to strengthen its market presence.
In 2017, ETTER partnered with the Metan Group to develop the patented CMAS (Catalytic Methane Abatement System), a technology designed to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas industry. Field-tested in Canadian oil fields, CMAS targets smaller-scale applications than typical flare systems can handle, converting fugitive methane gases into CO2 and water vapor, reducing the Global Warming Potential of this emission by 85+%!
In 2019, ETTER also launched Finishing Equipment Group (FEG), a subsidiary focused on catalytic IR heaters, curing ovens, and conveyor systems, marketed under the brands TITAN Catalytic and NIKO Conveyors. Today, ETTER remains committed to our journey forward as we grow closer to our 100-year anniversary.
As we celebrate 85 years in business, we remain committed to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, just as we have since our founding. We are proud to have served over 7,000 customers, completed more than 10,000 projects, and grown our team to 37 dedicated professionals!
Here’s to many more years of serving our customers and continuing our legacy in the combustion and process heating industries. We are thankful and appreciative to all of our clients who helped support us on this incredible journey.
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