History:

Trans-Lite was started on January 1, 1959, when Mr. Jones and Mr. Maley, as equal partners, purchased the Lighting Division of Safety Industries, Inc., Hamden, CT.  The name, Trans-Lite, Inc., is derived from the nature of the business in which the company is engaged, Transportation Lighting. By perpetuating Safety's product lines the company has lighting fixtures on almost every passenger train railroad in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In the fall of 1959 the company purchased, from H. K. Porter Company's Delta-Star Division, their line of transportation lighting  equipment. Used by the rapid  transit industry, (buses, etc.), as well as the railroad industry, these products are sometimes referred to in our plant as "Electric Service" fixtures since they represented the Electric Service Manufacturing Company portion of Delta-Star.

In 1963 the company further broadened its product lines serving the railroad industry by acquiring from the Pyle National Company their line of locomotive headlights, marker lights and Gyralites.

In 1965 the company acquired the Hunter Illuminated Car Sign Company and the Hunter Sash Company of Flushing, N.Y. and moved both of these operations into  the plant  here in Milford; Hunter pioneered the design and manufacture of roller curtain destination signs for buses and subway cars.

In 1979 Trans-Lite diversified its product line by the acquisition of J. Burdon, Inc., of Wallingford, Ct., a manufacturer of gundrills, used throughout the industry for deep hole drilling operations. This group was moved into the plant at Milford.

In 1985 Trans-Lite acquired the Howe Division of National Aluminum Corporation, further enhancing its locomotive parts product line.

On December 31, 1989, Mr. Jones retired and Mr. Maley became President of the company, perpetuating the product lines above.

In 1993 William Maley Jr. was named president of the company, Mr. Maley remains involved as chief engineer.