Westinghouse Electric
Zombie1886–1999
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Died | 1999 |
| Peak employees | 125,000 |
| Peak revenue | $12.5B (1995) |
| Cause of death | Conglomerate decay |
George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla won the War of the Currents, proving that alternating current was superior to Edison's direct current. That victory electrified the modern world. Westinghouse Electric went on to build everything from nuclear reactors to jet engines to the appliances in your grandmother's kitchen. The company was Pittsburgh's pride, a symbol of American industrial might.
But Westinghouse couldn't resist the conglomerate craze. In the 1990s, CEO Michael Jordan (not that one) pivoted the company to media, buying CBS for $5.4 billion. An industrial powerhouse that built nuclear reactors was now running a television network. The company renamed itself CBS Corporation and sold off the industrial businesses.
The Westinghouse name was licensed to various manufacturers. Today, 'Westinghouse' appears on TVs, light bulbs, generators, and kitchen appliances made by completely unrelated companies. The nuclear division still exists as a separate entity (currently owned by Cameco). George Westinghouse's name is now a sticker on products he'd never recognize.
Timeline
George Westinghouse founds Westinghouse Electric
Wins contract to light the Chicago World's Fair using AC power
Builds first major AC power plant at Niagara Falls with Tesla
Launches KDKA, one of the first commercial radio stations
Builds first full-scale commercial nuclear power plant (Shippingport, PA)
Acquires CBS for $5.4 billion; pivots from industry to media
Sells industrial operations to Siemens and others
Renames to CBS Corporation; Westinghouse name licensed out