Biography
Elmer Wood Gillmer (1862-1910) first ventured into the incandescent lamp business when he founded the Warren Electric and Specialty Company in 1893. It was established in a small barn in the town of Warren OH, USA, to manufacture carbon filament lamps. In the same year he founded The Peerless Electric Company, possily on the same site, to produce electric motors.
In 1903 that factory was relocated to the site directly adjacent to what later became the Trumbull Lamp Plant of General Electric USA
He did not stop at two companies, founding many other electrical business, and had interests in other lamp manufacturers, also in Warren, by the names of The Colonial Electric Company, The Economy Electric Company and The Niles Electric Company. Warren Electrical, Economy and Niles were eventually merged into Peerless and this continued running parallel alongside Colonial as two competing lampmakers for many years, even after both had been absorbed into the National Electric Lamp Association.
Mr. Gillmer's standing in the business is notable in view of the fact that he served as president of National at the time of his death.
