OXFORD, N.C. — Dill Air Controls Products L.L.C., a U.S. manufacturer of TPMS valve stems and valve hardware, celebrated its 110th anniversary with a carnival-style family day on the grounds of its Oxford facility.
Dill was founded in 1909 in Cleveland and became a manufacturer of valve caps for the Model T and other early car models.
Today Dill employs about 150 who make products for various industries, including passenger cars, trucks, trailers, aircraft, off-road, refrigeration and the military.
The Family Day event, held in mid-June, included rides, a photo booth, face painting, a classic car show and tours of the facility.
The company's predecessor, Dill Manufacturing, began manufacturing tire covers for tire valves in 1915. These covers (known as caps today) were used on the Model T and eventually other vehicles, the company said.
By 1924, Dill was producing 4 million valve stems and 5.5 million valve cores a year as well as several tire covers. In 1925, Dill expanded into Toronto and, a year later, opened a warehouse in Los Angeles.
The company diversified into other markets and began manufacturing the Dill electric vulcanizer and rubber patch repair kits in 1950.
In 1955, Dill began production of the rubber snap-in tire valve and the basic design is still used today, the company said.
Eaton Corp. acquired Dill in 1961 and moved the business to Roxboro, N.C., in 1964. The operations became Eaton's Air Controls Division in 1970.
In 2005, the division was sold, renamed Dill Air Controls Products and relocated to Oxford.