Timeline
1844-1899
1844: August Schrader starts a business making daguerreotype apparatus (silver plated copper photographic plates); he later expands his business to the production of brass turnings and parts.
1845: Schrader developed a relationship with the Goodyear brothers and began supplying fittings and valves for rubber products including air pillows and life preservers.
1890-1891: August Schrader’s son, George H. F. Schrader, designs the tire valve and produces the first tire valve for bicycles.
1892: George H. F. Schrader obtains a patent for a “valve for pneumatic tires.”
1896: George Schrader patents a tire valve cap.
1898: The Schrader tire valve with a replaceable core is developed.
1900-1959
1905: The business, now called A. Schrader’s Son, introduces gauges to accurately measure pressure in automobile tires.
1913: The home of Schrader products is erected in Brooklyn.
1916: Schrader produces the first airplane valve stem. During the same year, the bent airplane valve is introduced.
1932: A. Schrader’s Son becomes a division of the Scovill Manufacturing Company.
1956: The tubeless tire eliminates inner tubes from original equipment on US-built cars.
1959: Schrader improves the valve core with a nonstick “swivel-T” plug washer made of Teflon™.
1960-1992
1960: Schrader purchases a controlling interest in Edouard Dubled & Cis. S.A., one of Europe’s oldest tire valve manufacturers, and establishes Schrader France in Pontarlier.
1979: Schrader opens a passenger tubeless tire valve plant in Monroe, NC.
1985: Piedmont Manufacturing Company (Schrader’s largest US competitor) is bought by The Bridge Products Company.
1990: Schrader continues with the development of a tire pressure monitoring system for vehicles. Piedmont Manufacturing Company develops new air conditioning valves for auto companies.
1992: New product developments include high-pressure tubeless tire valves, fuel rail settings for electronic fuel injection, and industrial applications for non-automotive use. The Bridge Products Company name is changed to Bridgeport-Piedmont.
1993-Present Day
1993: Schrader Electronics LTD in Northern Ireland is established to provide for the continuing development of pressure measurement technologies. The manufacturing facility in Australia is closed.
1994: Schrader celebrates its 150th anniversary. Bridgeport-Piedmont introduces the first-ever miniature AC pressure relief valve, 8mm and 10 mm high-flow valve cores/housings for automotive AC applications and injection molded OBD II service ports.
1995: Schrader is acquired by Kohlberg & Co. Production of Hitachi (mechanical) idle speed control valve begins.
1996: Schrader and Bridgeport-Piedmont merge under Kohlberg as Schrader-Bridgeport International Inc.
1997: The company begins selling the Schrader Remote Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
1998: Schrader-Bridgeport is acquired by the Gates Division of Tomkins plc. It is awarded QS-9000 certification, the automotive version of ISO-9000.
2001: The gasoline fuel pump check valve is introduced to Delphi.
2003: Schrader-China opens in the Shanghai area. The diesel fuel pump check valve is introduced to Delphi.
2005: The TPMS nut enters production.
2006: The fuel PRV (Pressure Regulator) is introduced to Robert Bosch.
2007: Smart valves are introduced by combining valves with electronic solenoids for automotive applications.
2008: The TPMS assembly is introduced to TRW.
2010: The fuel PRV-DR pressure regulator is introduced to Robert Bosch.
2012: The gasoline direct injection check valve is launched to Tier 1 suppliers.
2013: A new PRV-DR is developed for Delphi.
2014: New HFO-1234yf AC valves are introduced to the automotive market.
2016: An aluminum AC PRV is introduced to Hanon. A new PRV-DR is introduced to Continental, Walbro, Carter, and TI Automotive.
2017: Diesel fuel specialty valves are introduced.
2018: The MINI PRV-DR is introduced.
September 1, 2018: Pacific Industrial Co. Ltd. acquires Schrader International Engineered Products Division (Schrader-Bridgeport International) of Altavista, VA. Company is renamed Schrader Pacific Advanced Valves.