The Ensign-Bickford Company (EBCo) was started in 1836 in Simsbury, Connecticut as a manufacturer of William Bickford's safety fuse for use in mining.

Safety fuse was a great advance in mining technology over the practice of filling holes with black powder.

In 1956, EBCo began providing research and development work for Frankford Arsenal and Sandia National Laboratories to develop linear shaped charge, a product critical to the early strategic missile and launch vehicle programs.

In 1965, the Space Ordnance Division was formed, making contributions to early NASA programs such as Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.

In addition to its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Simsbury, Connecticut, EBAD has facilities in Graham, Kentucky, & Moorpark, California.41°52′07″N 72°48′22″W / 41.8687°N 72.806°W / 41.8687; -72.806