Almost 50 years ago, two men-O.O. Shurtleff and George Chatham founded Chatleff Controls to manufacture and sell the first practical reversing valve for heat pump applications. Shurtleff and Chatham were granted their first patents in 1958 for these valves. Soon after Calcasieu Lumber Company purchased and incorporated Chatleff Controls while Chatham and Shurtleff continued to manage the business.
Chatleff soon developed and produced the Right Angle Check, Three-way Service, Solenoid and Kwik Conect valves for the OEM market. With customers in the American, European Australian and Asian industries, Chatleff shipped (and continues to this day) approximately 20% of its annual sales volume overseas. Between 1960 and 1972, twelve patents were issued for these products.
In 1969 A-T-O Inc., of Willoughby, Ohio, acquired Chatleff Controls as a division of Ward Hydraulics-a New York producer of hydraulic cylinders. Raymond G. Henderson was a division General Manager for A-T-O at Hydraxtor, located in Davenport, Iowa.
In 1975, A-T-O transferred Mr. Henderson to Chatleff Controls in Austin, Texas. Chatleff Controls was hit hard by the ailing economy and business was at an all time low. Mr. Henderson’s management experience, strong leadership skills, expert engineering and sales background, provided Chatleff the industry knowledge to move forward.
Due to the distance that separated Chatleff from Ward Hydraulics in New York, A-T-O sold Chatleff Controls in 1978 to Mr. Henderson and several Sales Representatives. About 30 people worked for the company at this time.
Chatleff Controls observed the 1980’s as the decade of great change. In 1984 the Henderson family became the sole owners of the company. The first generation 3843 Eliminator-Distributor and the Chatleff Special Orifice Piston were designed and developed. Chatleff was granted 2 patents in 1988 for these products. Sales increased over 200%.
Outgrowing the Austin facility, Mr. Henderson designed a new 35,000 square foot plant in Buda, Texas (15 miles south of Austin) and Chatleff moved in the fall of 1986. The company now employed about 60 people in a more efficient and larger facility.
In 1991, the third generation Eliminator-Distributor, the 3863 series was introduced. Patented in 1993, sales of this product alone have and are expected to continue to increase business into the future. Chatleff products are shipped throughout the North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. In 1998, Chatleff introduced our new 8700 series Service-Expansion Valve for mini-split applications. Chatleff had another record sales year of over $17,000,000.
In 2007, Chatleff Controls Inc. was acquired by Danfoss A/S and became Danfoss Chatleff, LLC.Danfoss Chatleff LLC now employs over 200 people and was ISO 9001 Certified in 1997 and Carrier Q+ Certified at the end of 1998.