OUR STORY
From a Basement in St. Louis to Coast-to-Coast Manufacturing
Essex Industries began in 1947 as a family business in St. Louis, Missouri. Returning home from service in World War II, Harold Guller recognized an opportunity in the emerging field of jet aviation. In 1947, working from his father’s basement, Harold developed and sold a Radio Noise Filter for military aircraft. His brother Sidney Guller handled the accounting while earning his degree and later joined the growing company.
That first product established a foundation that continues to define Essex today:
- Identify solutions for a need
- Solve difficult problems
- Design & manufacture products for demanding environments
- Take care of our customers
- Build a company for the future
Essex remains family-owned and operated, with third-generation ownership and leadership led by CEO Evan Waldman. The same entrepreneurial spirit and long-term perspective that shaped the company from its beginning continues to guide Essex today.
OUR PURPOSE
Solving Critical Applications Needs
From its beginnings in aviation, Essex has grown into a highly capable designer and manufacturer of intricate mechanical and electrical assemblies supporting the aerospace and defense industries.
Our capabilities bring together engineering, precision manufacturing, complex assembly, testing, and aftermarket support to serve critical applications across fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, land vehicles, and other aerospace and defense platforms. Over the decades, Essex has developed deep expertise in platform controls and aircraft components, fluid conveyance, liquid oxygen equipment, and emergency breathing equipment. While our products and capabilities have evolved considerably since the beginning, our purpose has remained consistent:
Design and build critical products our customers can depend on when performance matters most.
OUR CULTURE
The People Define Essex
Technology, equipment and expertise drive what we do. Our people make us who we are. Culture has always been an integral part of Essex. We are incredibly proud of the talented and committed employees who choose to build their careers here, including many who have spent decades with the company. We believe great companies are built by people who care about their work, their customers, and one another. We strive to create an environment where employees can grow, take on new challenges, share ideas, and build meaningful careers. That commitment to people has been passed down from generation to generation and remains central to how Essex operates today.
OUR FUTURE
Investing in the Long Term
We are building Essex for the next generation not the next quarter. That means continually investing in our employees, engineering capabilities, manufacturing technologies, and facilities while developing long-term relationships with our customers and suppliers. We pursue growth thoughtfully, to create an increasingly capable and enduring aerospace and defense company. From a basement in St. Louis in 1947 to a coast-to-coast aerospace and defense manufacturer today, Essex has changed enormously. What remains consistent is our family values, entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to our employees, and determination to solve difficult problems for our customers.
Essex employs over 400 people in Saint Louis, Missouri; Huntington Beach, California; and Milford, Connecticut, serving the global aerospace and defense community.
