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{{Short description|American manufacturer of gas and electric appliances}}
{{about|American manufacturer|the former French municipality|Lannion|Chile's {{lang|es|Servicio Electoral}}|Elections in Chile}}{{Distinguish|Serval}}[[File:Servel Robur air conditioner.jpg|thumb|A Servel Robur air conditioner compressor unit on Governor's Island, New York City.]]
'''Servel''' was an American manufacturer of heating and cooling appliances, founded in 1922.

Founded by Colonel William McCurdy to produce [[refrigerator]]s and named National Electric Products Company, the company adapted and shortened the name "Servel" from their slogan, "Serving Electricity."<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=http://www.roburcorp.com/company/history |title=Company History |publisher=Robur Corp |accessdate=6 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308150156/http://www.roburcorp.com/company/history |archive-date=8 March 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=cowan>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6iAsTStE9MC&pg=PA140 | title=More Work for Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave | publisher=Basic Books | date=1983 | accessdate=6 September 2016 | author=Ruth Schwartz Cowan | pages=140–142 | isbn=9780465047321}}</ref> In 1925, the company bought American rights to a Swedish patent for a continuous [[absorption refrigerator]] and started to focus on the gas refrigeration market.<ref name=cowan/> The new model was available to consumers in 1926, and Servel quickly came to dominate the gas refrigerator market, its competition having all but disappeared within a few years.<ref name=cowan/> From 1927 until 1956, when it ceased producing them, it was the only American manufacturer of gas refrigerators.<ref name=cowan/>

In 1939, Servel (then [[Electrolux]]-Servel) exhibited its residential gas [[air conditioner]] at the [[1939 New York World's Fair|New York World's Fair]].<ref name=caves>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DaYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pq8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3410,4260584&hl=en | title=Servel Exhibit to be Shown Again at 1940 World's Fair | work=The Daily Times | date=9 April 1940 | accessdate=6 September 2016 | location=Beaver and Rochester, NY | pages=5}}</ref> The exhibit, called "Magic Caves of Ice", was staged in the "Court of Flame", a building dedicated to promoting the [[gas industry]].<ref name=caves/>

As the United States entered [[World War II]], Servel shifted its manufacturing to support the war effort. In addition to cooking units and munitions, Servel built wings for the [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]].<ref name=coker>{{cite news | url=http://archive.courierpress.com/columnists/david-coker-servel-has-long-proud-history-in-evansville-ep-444161690-327313731.html | title=Servel has long proud history in Evansville | work=Evansville Courier & Press | date=11 August 2012 | accessdate=6 September 2016 | author=David Coker | location=Evansville, IN}}</ref> By the end of the war, they had produced over 6,000 pairs of wings for the [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] fighters.<ref name=coker/>

Starting in 1949, National Electric started receiving classified [[research and development]] contracts for the government, resulting in the production of rockets and guided missiles, [[JATO]], and [[Rocket#Components|sustainer]] motor bodies for U.S. missiles and rockets, particularly the [[Nike missile|Nike family]] of [[guided missiles]].<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/missilesrockets4195unse#page/n619/mode/2up Capabilities and Facilities: National Electric’s Contribution to The Rocket and Missile Program], ''Missiles and Rockets'', November 10, 1958, v. 4, no. 19, p. 8.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/missilesrockets1719unse#page/141/mode/1up National Electric aims high (for the highest quality in the production of rocket motor bodies)], ''Missiles and Rockets'', November 29, 1965, v. 17, no. 22, p. 141.</ref>

In 1991, the company's remaining brands and manufacturing facilities were sold to [[Robur Group]], an Italian manufacturer.<ref name=history/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:1922 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Electrical engineering companies]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1922]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Indiana]]
[[Category:Companies based in Evansville, Indiana]]
[[Category:1991 disestablishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1991]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Indiana]]

Servel - Revision history

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