This manufacturer of electrical fuses and switches, first called Schweitzer & Conrad, was founded in 1911 by Nicholas J. Conrad and Edmund O. Schweitzer, who were then employees of Commonwealth Edison, Chicago's electric utility. The company served as a military contractor during World War II and grew during the 1950s. In 1961, it opened a large Chicago facility called the Conrad Laboratory. By the mid-1970s, S&C employed about 1,400 people in the Chicago area. By the early 2000s, S&C was still a leading manufacturer of electric switches, grossing more than $100 million in annual sales and employing 1,700 workers at its Chicago headquarters. At that time, the company had a handful of manufacturing, engineering, and research and development operations in the United States, Canada, Brazil, China, and Mexico.

This entry is part of the Encyclopedia's Dictionary of Leading Chicago Businesses (1820-2000) that was prepared by Mark R. Wilson, with additional contributions from Stephen R. Porter and Janice L. Reiff.