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Company History Automatic Power's worldwide presence began with a wrong number dialed a half a century ago. It was just after World War II, when the first rigs started to venture out into the Gulf of Mexico. One of those early pioneers was EXXON, then known as Humble Oil and Refining. In 1947, Humble struck oil offshore Sabine, Texas and started to put platforms in place. Informed by the US Coast Guard that these platforms must be clearly marked as obstructions to navigation, Humble Oil personnel called around in search of a source. One of the firms they called was The Lighthouse, Inc., owned by Nathan "Available" Jones. Despite its name, this small Houston-based shop had nothing to do with lighthouses, but specialized in ambulance emergency lights. Opportunity Calls When Jones took the call, he had no idea what was needed, but sensed opportunity. He assured the caller that these platform obstruction lights were indeed "available" from his company. Jones quickly contacted local Coast Guard officials, who directed him to their supplier, Wallace & Tiernan, Inc. Jones flew to New Jersey to meet with Wallace & Tiernan officials and was appointed that company's Gulf Coast distributor. The Lighthouse was now officially in the aids to navigation business. Rapid Worldwide Expansion Over the next few years, drilling and production took off in the Gulf of Mexico, and the company's fortunes took off with it. As activity boomed in the Gulf, hundreds of platforms were placed offshore and marked with thousands of lights and fog signals. By 1966, The Lighthouse, Inc., incorporated five different companies providing navigational aids to a worldwide customer base. Two years later they became part of the Pennwalt Corporation and were consolidated under the name of Automatic Power, Inc., (API). API and Pennwalt As the 60's drew to a close, API's offshore aids to navigation business had grown larger than Wallace & Tiernan's ports and harbor sector. "Available" Jones approached Wallace & Tiernan to purchase their aids to navigation division. Typically, by the time the negotiations were concluded, Jones had turned the tables, and Wallace & Tiernan bought API. Shortly thereafter, Wallace & Tiernan merged with the Pennsylvania Salt Company. Automatic Power operated as an independent company within the newly created Pennwalt equipment division for more than two decades. Pharos Marine In 1988, the French chemical conglomerate, ELF-ATOCHEM, bought out the Pennwalt Corporation. As part of the purchase, Pennwalt divested Automatic Power, Inc., to a management group. In 1989, Automatic Power was merged with A.B. Pharos Marine, Ltd., the largest aids to navigation company in Europe. Today, the combined Automatic Power/Pharos Marine Group is the world leader in aids to navigation with a track record that is more than a century old. International Offices Worldwide Representatives Technology Production facilities Celebrating 50 Years Offshore In 1989, Automatic Power was merged with A.B. Pharos Marine, Ltd., the largest aids to navigation company in Europe. A.B. Pharos Marine, Ltd. - UK