Bussmann / Eaton

Bussmann Manufacturing was founded in 1915 by brothers Joe, Al, Frank, Lee & Harry and a non-renewable cartridge fuse was the first product manufactured. For over 100 years, the Bussmann brand has become known for setting the standard for circuit protection and services that reduce downtime, support workplace safety and are code compliant for the OEM, industrial/MRO and construction industry.

Bussmann was issued the first patents for cartridge fuses in 1923 and have grown their portfolio of patents ever since. The company manufactures over 50,000 products that include electrical and electronic fuses, fuse holders and power distribution blocks and also offer engineering, training and testing services.

Eaton’s Bussmann Business has helped grow a number of companies who added them to their portfolio over the years. First acquired by Max McGraw in 1929, the company then was added to McGraw-Edison Co. after Thomas A. Edison Co. joined McGraw Electric in 1956.

In 1985, they were acquired by Cooper Industries which joined with Eaton in 2012. Throughout all the mergers and acquisitions the Bussmann brand has been maintained. Today it markets a wide variety of North American and European-styled fuses for the electrical, electronics and transportation industries and also produces industrial and mobile wireless solutions, plus inductors and transformers for power quality in electronics applications. The companies manufacturing plants are throughout the world; in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, China, Hungary, India, Costa Rica and Brazil.


It’s been 100 years since the Bussmann brothers first started producing fuses from the basement of their home. And in that time span, Bussmann has grown from providing fuses for horseless carriages and World War II aircraft, to offering more than 30,000 products. From humble beginnings in St. Louis, Missouri, to a global product and distribution network, the Bussmann name is synonymous with technological innovation. In fact, over the past 100 years, Bussmann products have received more than 3,000 utility and design patents, with more than 350 global active patents.
Today, Bussmann products continue to reflect a long-standing tradition of providing fusible circuit protection and electrical safety solutions that help protect equipment and enable reliable, efficient power distribution. And now that Bussmann products are part of Eaton, the industry’s top innovators of fuse technology and circuit breakers have united to provide ultimate leadership in circuit protection.