A Brief History of Ferguson Transformers

Ferguson Transformers was founded by Doug Ferguson who began manufacturing radio sets in a small factory in New South Wales, Australia, shortly after the end of 2nd World war.

The company grew and Doug realised that not only did each of his radio sets require a transformer but that there was a large general market for transformers and related products including fluorescent lighting ballasts, battery chargers and power supplies. Doug also always emphasised quality, reliability and longevity as the most important features of his products.

In the light of Doug’s realisation of the widespead application of transformer products the company grew steadily over the next twenty years and became a ‘household’ name in the electrical industry enjoying a major share of the market. It employed some 300 people by the late 70’s which was very significant in those days. At this stage the company was also manufacturing a complete range of chokes for HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps commonly used in street lighting, airfield lighting transformers, high voltage distribution transformers, plug pack style power supplies, traction battery chargers for use with electric lift trucks, power supplies for salt water chlorination of swimming pools and various DC power supplies for a wide variety of applications. Many of these products are still available through Telectran International and the Ferguson products it manufactures.

Following Doug Ferguson’s death in the early 80’s the company was sold to another Australian owned business which for some years continued manufacturing the complete range of products in a large factory at Liverpool in Western Sydney.

In 1989 the Ferguson business was acquired by the German based Vossloh Schwabe group, which was always associated with quality products. The business was re-located to new premises in Castle Hill in North West Sydney where manufacturing of the full Ferguson range of products continued until 1991.

After 1991 Vossloh Schwabe reduced the range of Ferguson products being manufactured at the plant in Castle Hill and “outsourced” manufacture of the older product types while concentrating their efforts on mass production of the German designed Schwabe fluorescent ballast using state of the art manufacturing equipment. Ferguson products started to fade into history.

The Ferguson business was acquired by the leading Australian transformer and component manufacturer Telectran International in November 1997 with the equipment, personnel and intellectual property being merged into Telectran’s long standing manufacturing business in Terrey Hills, NSW, Australia. Telectran International continues to produce a complete range of Ferguson transformers and associated products emphasising all the elements Doug Ferguson would wish to see dominate.

Quality, Reliability, Longevity