Denison Hydraulics Inc., originally known as the Cook Motor Co., was founded in 1900 in Delaware, Ohio, as a manufacturer of heavy duty industrial gasoline engines.
It was designed to slowly move cars full of clay-ware through a kiln - decidedly the newest invention of the day owning over 80% of the hydraulic market.
Prior to World War II, Denison was contacted to help with developing test stands and presses to assist in making weapons and aircraft.
During the war years, Bill Denison bought facilities throughout Columbus and a research center in Powell, Ohio.
Ideas that were discussed during the "War Years", but shelved, due to lack of time and manpower, now came "off the shelf".
In 1945, a new line of high speed, lightweight aircraft pumps were introduced and in 1954, Denison, in cooperation with the U.S. Government, purchased a factory at 425 Sandusky St., Delaware, Ohio.
Still operating as American Brake Shoe, the facility was initially used for manufacturing piston pumps and providing special products for the government.
Throughout the ABEX and IC years, Denison continued to be a leader in the development of high-performance fluid power products.
American Brake Shoe in Mahwah, New Jersey at or around the time it changed its name to ABEX was working on a 48-track Route Switching System (Hump Yard) for I believe the Santa Fe Railroad.
The railroad 'bosses' looked at both designs and decided that rather than retrain their personnel to understand transistors, they would rather keep with the relays and thus, purchased our version.
There was one minor problem, they wanted the relay closet to be 'portable', and thus we welded a six-inch eye hook to the top of the cabinet housing.
[2] Denison, became especially heavily involved with Marine and defense applications providing steering gears and many other products to the US Navy.
In 1986, ABEX/IC sold the Denison division to a Swedish manufacturer of Radial Piston Hydraulic Motors, Hagglunds.
As business slowed during the recession of the 1980s, Hagglunds Denison was forced to close and sell several factories.