Electro-Dynamic Company
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn American manufacturer of electric motors and generators that supplied propulsion equipment for naval and civilian vessels, including early submarines.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Electro-Dynamic Company was an American electrical-equipment manufacturer founded in 1880 by electrical inventor William Woodnut Griscom. The company produced electric motors and generators, with its work becoming especially important in marine propulsion. Its early customers included the Electric Launch Company, commonly known as Elco, which built electric launches and other marine craft. Through this relationship, Electro-Dynamic developed a position within the emerging electric-boat industry during a period when electric propulsion was being tested for commercial, recreational, and military vessels. The company experienced a major financial setback in 1892, when it entered bankruptcy. Financier Isaac Rice provided financial support and became a co-owner. Griscom died in a hunting accident in 1897, but the business continued to develop its marine-engineering role. One of its most consequential projects was the main propulsion motor for USS Holland, launched in 1897 and widely recognized as the United States Navy's first modern submarine. The motor helped establish Electro-Dynamic as a specialist supplier to the developing submarine and electric-boat sectors. In 1899, Rice founded the Electric Boat Company and placed Electro-Dynamic and Elco under its ownership as subsidiaries. Electric Boat became a central contractor for the United States submarine industry, while Elco continued to build naval and civilian boats. Electro-Dynamic supplied electric motors and generators for numerous submarines constructed by Electric Boat and for vessels produced by Elco. Its role was primarily industrial and technical: it provided propulsion and generating equipment rather than selling a consumer-facing product line under a broad retail brand. The company moved from Philadelphia to Bayonne, New Jersey, before 1964. Its Bayonne plant, located on Avenue A, was destroyed by fire in 1964. Electro-Dynamic then acquired a former Security Steel facility in Avenel, New Jersey, and continued its manufacturing activities there. In 1952, Electric Boat was reorganized into General Dynamics Corporation, and Electro-Dynamic continued as a division associated with General Dynamics and its Electric Boat operations. Electro-Dynamic remained connected to submarine and marine electrical manufacturing through the remainder of the twentieth century. The business was dissolved in 2000, after which its functions were transferred to Electric Boat's principal facility in Groton, Connecticut. The company is therefore best understood as a historical industrial supplier whose importance lay in enabling electric propulsion and power generation for early submarines and other vessels, rather than as an independent contemporary brand.
History
Electro-Dynamic Company was founded in 1880 by William Woodnut Griscom, an electrical inventor who established the business during the early development of commercial electric machinery. Its principal products were electric motors and generators. Although the company operated in the electrical-equipment field generally, marine applications became central to its identity and long-term significance. An important early customer was the Electric Launch Company, better known as Elco. Elco's electric launches and other vessels created demand for compact and reliable electric propulsion systems. Electro-Dynamic supplied equipment for this developing market and became involved in the broader technical experimentation surrounding electric boats. Electric propulsion was particularly valuable for launches and specialized vessels because it could provide quiet operation and avoid some of the mechanical complexity associated with contemporary steam systems. The company suffered a bankruptcy in 1892. Financier Isaac Rice rescued the business financially and became a co-owner. Griscom remained associated with the company until his death in a hunting accident in 1897. Despite these setbacks, Electro-Dynamic continued to develop its capabilities as a marine electrical supplier. The company's most notable early engineering contribution was the main propulsion motor for USS Holland, launched in 1897. The vessel is regarded as the United States Navy's first modern submarine, making the Electro-Dynamic motor an important component in the early development of American naval undersea technology. Rice established the Electric Boat Company in 1899. Electro-Dynamic and Elco became subsidiaries of the new organization, linking motor and generator production with submarine design, construction, and electric-boat manufacturing. This structure gave Electro-Dynamic a continuing role in the supply chain for vessels produced by Electric Boat and Elco. During the twentieth century, the company manufactured electric motors and generators for numerous Electric Boat submarines, as well as for naval and civilian boats built by Elco. Electro-Dynamic was initially based in Philadelphia. Before 1964, it relocated to Bayonne, New Jersey, where it operated a plant on Avenue A. A fire destroyed the Bayonne facility in 1964. The company responded by acquiring a former Security Steel plant in Avenel, New Jersey, and continued its operations there. The relocation was a significant physical transition, but the company's underlying role as a supplier of marine electrical machinery remained consistent. In 1952, Electric Boat was reorganized into General Dynamics Corporation. Electro-Dynamic became part of the General Dynamics structure through the Electric Boat division and its predecessors. It continued to support submarine and marine manufacturing rather than operating as a prominent standalone commercial brand. Its products were components and systems used within larger naval and civilian vessels, so the company's public profile was much lower than that of the shipbuilders and defense contractors that incorporated its equipment. Electro-Dynamic Company was dissolved in 2000. Its functions were transferred to Electric Boat's main facility in Groton, Connecticut. The company's history consequently spans the formative period of electric marine propulsion, the emergence of the American submarine industry, and the consolidation of specialized manufacturing within a large defense-industrial organization. Its legacy is primarily technical and organizational: it helped supply the motors and generators that enabled early electric boats and submarines and later operated as part of the Electric Boat and General Dynamics manufacturing system.
- 2000
Dissolution and transfer of functions
[1]Electro-Dynamic Company was dissolved and its functions were relocated to Electric Boat's main facility in Groton, Connecticut.
- 1964
Bayonne plant destroyed by fire
[1]A fire destroyed the company's Avenue A plant in Bayonne, New Jersey, prompting the acquisition of a former Security Steel facility in Avenel.
- 1952
Electric Boat reorganized into General Dynamics
[1]Electric Boat was reorganized into General Dynamics Corporation, with Electro-Dynamic continuing within the resulting corporate structure.
- 1899
Integration into Electric Boat
[1]Isaac Rice founded Electric Boat and made Electro-Dynamic and Elco subsidiaries.
- 1897
Propulsion motor for USS Holland
[1]Electro-Dynamic manufactured the main propulsion motor for USS Holland, an early modern United States Navy submarine.
- 1892
Bankruptcy and financial rescue
[1]The company entered bankruptcy, after which Isaac Rice provided financial support and became a co-owner.
- 1880
Company founded
[1]William Woodnut Griscom founded Electro-Dynamic Company as a manufacturer of electric motors and generators.
Products and positioning
A specialist industrial manufacturer of electric motors and generators for submarine, naval, and civilian marine applications.
Industrial and marine electrical equipment
Electric motors
Electric motors were the company's core product category. Electro-Dynamic supplied motors for marine applications, including electric launches, naval vessels, and submarines. Its work on the main propulsion motor for USS Holland connected the company to one of the earliest major United States submarine programs.
Industrial and marine electrical equipment
Electric generators
The company manufactured electric generators for naval and civilian marine customers. These generators supported the electrical systems of vessels built by Electric Boat and Elco and remained part of Electro-Dynamic's manufacturing role throughout the twentieth century.
Submarine propulsion equipment · 1897
USS Holland propulsion motor
Electro-Dynamic manufactured the principal propulsion motor for USS Holland, launched in 1897. The component represented the company's early contribution to powered submarine engineering and helped demonstrate the practical importance of electric propulsion in undersea vessels.
Brand decisions
2000
Dissolve the standalone companyStrategyBackground
Electro-Dynamic had operated for decades within the Electric Boat and General Dynamics organization as a specialized supplier of marine electrical equipment.
Action taken
The company was dissolved and its functions were moved to Electric Boat's principal facility in Groton, Connecticut.
Aftermath
Electro-Dynamic ceased to exist as a separate company, while its functions continued within Electric Boat.
1964
Relocate manufacturing after the Bayonne fireStrategyBackground
A fire destroyed the company's Avenue A plant in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Action taken
The company acquired a former Security Steel facility in Avenel, New Jersey.
Aftermath
Manufacturing operations continued from the Avenel facility.
1899
Join the Electric Boat subsidiary structureM&ABackground
After Isaac Rice became a co-owner following the company's 1892 bankruptcy, he founded Electric Boat and organized related marine businesses under it.
Action taken
Electro-Dynamic became a subsidiary of Electric Boat alongside the Electric Launch Company.
Aftermath
The arrangement connected Electro-Dynamic's motor and generator production with Electric Boat submarine construction and Elco vessel manufacturing.
Sources1 sources
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