Established in 1931 by Richard Cornelius, in the basement and garage of his family home, in Minneapolis, USA, IMI Cornelius has continuously evolved to become the global brand it is today. Through constantly developing and innovating, our business has become one of the best-known names in the global drinks dispense industry. The breakthrough invention came in 1933, when the unique Diaphragm Compressor was developed for the beer industry. Following this came the free-foam draught system, which saw Cornelius become the US beer industry’s main supplier of beer faucets.

During the war, Cornelius was called upon to help in the war effort with the manufacture of military equipment. Focusing production on pneumatic systems and aircraft accessory components for the military, IMI Cornelius earned special Department of Defence recognition. After the war, the Aero Division continued successful development of aircraft equipment, whilst Cornelius returned to growing its enginee ring and design expertise to the beverage marketplace. Taking advantage of the boom in the soft drinks industry during the 1950s, Cornelius developed a new valve, similar to the original beer faucet, which revolutionised the industry and propelled Cornelius into one of its elite suppliers. With the late fifties came further expansion and rapid market recognition of the Cornelius brand. A wide range of drinks accessory products including stainless steel tanks, plastic tubing and refrigeration units were added to the Cornelius offering.

In 1961, Cornelius sold its Aero Division, reaffirming its commitment to the beverage dispense industry and becoming multi-national, with expansion into Canada, Europe and South America. The countertop revolution, during the seventies, allowed Cornelius to develop electronic control systems for such applications, further extending its reputation for innovation and excellence. Cornelius joined forces with global drinks dispensing company, IMI plc, creating the IMI Cornelius Group in 1979. The merger saw Cornelius spread its manufacturing base further still. Throughout the eighties and nineties, IMI Cornelius made a number of acquisitions, adding names such as Gaskell and Chambers, Objex Ltd and Coldflow to the Cornelius brand.

Today, IMI Cornelius continues to cement its position as a leading supplier of drinks dispense solutions. With global representation in 49 countries, an international spread of cooling and dispensing businesses and a sales support network of thousands, IMI Cornelius’ reputation continues to grow.

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