In 1960, the Joy facility was transformed into a full fledged manufacturing factory focused on producing integrally geared centrifugal air compressors which produced oil free air flow. The 1970s saw Joy compressors grow in the US domestic market with much focus on engineered custom compressors for refineries and air separation.
In 1979, the Gardner-Denver Company was acquired by Cooper Industries, Inc. (“Cooper”) and operated as 10 unincorporated divisions. Two of these divisions, the Gardner-Denver Air Compressor Division and the Petroleum Equipment Division, were combined in 1985 to form the Gardner-Denver Industrial Machinery Division. In 1987, Cooper acquired the Sutorbilt and DuroFlow blower product lines and the Joy industrial compressor product line, which were also consolidated into the Division. Effective December 31, 1993, the assets and liabilities of the Industrial Machinery Division were transferred by Cooper to the Gardner-Denver Company, which had been formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cooper. On April 15, 1994, the Gardner-Denver Company was spun-off as an independent company to the shareholders of Cooper. Joy centrifugal compressors are operated in dozens of applications throughout the world and are integral to the following industries: auto, glass, textiles, petrochemical, snow making, electronics, food, industrial gases, chemical, refining, and energy.