Honeywell's story stretches back more than 125 years and encompasses several predecessor companies and the inspiring work of tens of thousands of people. But our core mission and values have been consistent from the start: Our vision for a secure, comfortable, cleaner, more efficient future... Our steadfast belief in the power of innovation ... And our relentless drive for continuous improvement. From our genesis in 1885 to today, these are the principles that led us to the advancements and innovations of the past century and a quarter ... And they continue to inspire and guide us as we create new solutions for the challenges of tomorrow. More than 125 Years of Innovation Honeywell's roots reach to 1885, when an inventor named Albert Butz patented the furnace regulator and alarm. He formed the Butz Thermo-Electric Regulator Co., Minneapolis, in April, 1886, and soon invented a device he called the "damper flapper” – an ingenious predecessor to the modern thermostat. Here's how it worked. When a room cooled below a predetermined temperature, a thermostat closed the circuit and energized an armature. This pulled the stop from the motor gears, allowing a crank attached to the main motor shaft to turn one-half revolution. A chain connected to the crank opened the furnace's air damper to let in air. This made the fire burn hotter. When the temperature rose to the preset level, the thermostat signaled the motor to turn another half revolution, closing the damper and damping the fire. The temperature correction was automatic. Over the years, many Honeywell products have been based upon similar, but more complicated closed-loop systems. The Consolidated Temperature Controlling Co. acquired Butz's patents and business, and by 1893, had renamed itself Electric Heat Regulator Co. In 1898, the company was purchased by W. R. Sweatt, who, by 1916, named the company Minneapolis Heat Regulator Company, expanded its product line and patented the first electric motor approved by Underwriters Laboratories.