From a continuous spray pump in California's orchards in the 1880s to some of the world's most sophisticated technology and equipment for the oilfield service, FMC Technologies and its predecessor companies have a long history of technical innovation. FMC Technologies traces its roots to 1884 when inventor John Bean developed a new type of spray pump to combat San Jose scale in California's orchards. When neighbors clamored for the device, Bean Spray Pump Company was born.
At first, the company made agricultural equipment, but mergers in the late 1920s with makers of food processing equipment and cannery machinery for vegetables, created a larger company requiring a new name - Food Machinery Corporation.
By the mid-1930s, FMC was the world's largest manufacturer of machinery and equipment for handling fruits, vegetables, milk, fish and meat products. And as World War II began, FMC entered the defense business, making amphibious tractors and tanks for the military.
In the post-war boom, FMC introduced continuous freezers, providing for assembly-line production of pre-packaged frozen foods and made strides in sterilization of canned foods. The boom also prompted acquisitions in chemicals and petroleum equipment.
In 1961 the diverse, global company changed its name to FMC Corporation, and in 1966 sales topped $1 billion. By the early 1970s, FMC had 42,000 employees and a new Chicago headquarters. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and into the 21st century, the company pursued new businesses. In 2000, FMC announced a plan to restructure into two companies - one a machinery business (FMC Technologies); the other a chemicals business (FMC Corporation). FMC Technologies, Inc. became a newly listed public company on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2001, with an initial public offering of approximately 17 percent of its stock.
In 2008, FMC Technologies spun off its FoodTech and Airport businesses into a new, independent, publically-traded company called JBT Corporation.
- John Bean invents a continuous spray pump to battle scale in his almond orchards. Neighboring growers clamor for the innovative device and a new business is born.
- John Bean stock (FMC) introduced to the San Francisco Exchange. John Bean Mfg. Company becomes Food Machinery Corporation and citrus packing, fruit handling and treating companies are added.
- Peerless Pumps, a West Coast manufacturer of deep-well turbine pumps is acquired.
- FMC is the world's largest manufacturer of equipment for handling fruits, vegetables, milk, fish and meat and is now the industry leader in turbine pump sales. Its pumps are used in water projects during the Great Depression.
- FMC enters the defense business and begins producing amphibious vehicles for the military.
- With the acquisition of the Westvaco Chemical Corporation in 1948, FMC's name changed to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation to more accurately reflect the company's expansion into the chemical business.
- In 1954, Petro-Tex, a joint venture, is formed with Tennessee Gas Transmission Company to create what would later become known as Tenneco.
- In 1955, Chiksan and WECO acquired.
- In 1957, FMC acquires Oil Center Tool Company (OCT), recognized as a leading manufacturer of high-pressure wellhead flow control assemblies, also known as “christmas trees.”
- FMC develops underwater wellhead equipment for offshore drilling.
- FMC divides its operations into four groups: Machinery, Chemical, Fiber and Film, and Ordnance.
- Corporate FMC trademark is created and launched.
- FMC makes initial investments in subsea wellhead and completion systems product lines marking the beginnings of FMC Energy Systems.
- FMC establishes FMC Gold Company, a profitable precious metal producer. The business was later reincorporated in Canada with a subsidiary of Meridian Gold Inc in 1996.
- Purchased Kongsberg Offshore in 1993 making FMC the world's largest subsea engineering, procurement and construction company.
- FMC’s defense business combined with Harsco to create the joint venture, United Defense, L.P. in 1994. The joint venture is later sold to The Carlyle Group in 1997.
- FMC also acquires National-Oilwell Fluid Control Systems in 1994.
- In 1995, FMC purchased Smith Meter, the industry's leading name in liquid measurement for the oilfield industry.
- FMC makes further investments in deepwater subsea technologies with the purchase of CBV Subsea, Brazil's leading supplier to the subsea oilfield exploration industry in 1998.
- The HOST template solution was developed, dramatically reducing subsea installation costs.
- FMC announces plans to restructure the company into two separate, publicly traded companies - a machinery business (FMC Technologies) and a chemicals business (FMC Corporation).
- FMC Technologies, Inc. begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange on June 14 under the Ticker Symbol FTI and becomes a separate, independent company December 31.
- Begins offering electric subsea chokes and manifolds.
- World’s first major High Pressure/High Temperature vertical subsea tree system developed for BP's Thunder Horse field.
- Acquired controlling interest (55%) in CDS Engineering, a developer of unique oil/gas separation technology.
- Achieved world-record water depth record of 7,570 feet with the installation of subsea trees for Shell on the Coulomb project (Gulf of Mexico).
2005
- Awarded contract for StatoilHydro’s Tordis field, the world’s first full-scale commercial subsea separation, boosting and injection system.
- Chosen to provide StatoilHydro with Subsea Riserless Light Well Intervention technology.
- FMC receives second award to provide subsea processing technology for Shell’s BC-10 project, located offshore Brazil.
- Acquired Galaxy Oilfield Service Ltd., the market leader in the supply of unique, high temperature equipment used in the thermal well production of Canada's oil sands.
- Awarded contract to supply subsea gas compression control systems to StatoilHydro as part of a major qualification program for a subsea gas compression system within its Åsgard field in the North Sea.
- Subsea horizontal electric submersible pumping is used for Petrobras’ Cascade and Chinook project, a new technology in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Set new deepwater completion record of 8,995 feet for the Independence Hub project in the Gulf of Mexico.
- FMC receives award from Shell for the Perdido field. This is the first full-field subsea separation and pumping system in the Gulf of Mexico.
- FMC increases ownership in CDS Engineering to 100%.
- FMC announces a two-for-one stock split.
- Awarded largest contract in history to supply subsea processing and production systems to Total for its Pazflor field located offshore Angola.
- FoodTech and Airport Systems businesses spun-off into a separate publically-traded company called JBT on July 31.
- First to supply offloading systems for LNG floating production vessels.