American Maritime Co. Spotlight: Carlisle & Finch Co. 1893 Cincinnati, Ohio

Morten Carlisle & Robert Finch open 1893 in Cincinnati, Ohio

What started as the Cincinnati branch of the General Electric company quickly took a turn towards innovation in 1894. Only one year into their electrical engineering business, they create the worlds first electrical toy train — offering a line of products to youngsters all over America. These have become collectibles that are worth picking up if you come across them.

Carlisle & Finch develop the first open arc searchlight in 1895

Two years into their business and things are continuing to go their way – the maritime lighting industry will prove to be a profitable and sustainable endeavor for many years to come. The sweet taste of innovation has fully taken roots now and by 1911, the electrical firm is producing two stroke engines and farming equipment.

Post War Production

During the 1920s, C&S added dynamo generators into their product line. It was reported that they had 120 employees on payroll at this time in their Clifton Ave. factory. After World War 2, the core focus of the company shifted towards marine search lights, with a few exceptions for household electrical appliances.

1970s – Today

By the 1970s, Carlisle and Finch was the #1 searchlight manufacturer in the world. A second production facility was built in 1999 to accommodate the large demand they were experiencing. THe company is still around in 2026, owned and operated by descendants of the founder, Robert Finch.