Heat In History
Today the Graham Corporation designs and builds both heat transfer and vacuum equipment for the chemical, petrochemical, petroleum refining and electric power generating industries, including cogeneration and geothermal plants. The rise of Graham from a fledgling company to a leader in the heat transfer industry is an example of the evolution of a typical manufacturing company, and parallels the advance of the heat transfer industry in the 20th century.
Many engineers have a predisposition to accept the state of technology as they first encounter it in their jobs as “the way it has always been done.” In reality, most technologically based companies are continuously evolving, and those comprising the heat transfer industry are no exception. This evolution can usually be traced to the efforts of individuals within the company rather than the company as a whole. In this case, as in many others, the growth of Graham as a company can be associated primarily with the founders.
Graham Manufacturing was first incorporated in New York State in 1936 by Harold Graham. The company as it exists today was founded by Harold Graham and Frederick Berkeley in 1941. The association of these two men, however, dates back to the mid-1920's, when they were both employees and stockholders in the Ross Heater & Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of heat transfer equipment in Buffalo, New York.