History
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AEG
In 1883, the "Gelegenheits-Gesellschaft" was founded by Emil Rathenau in Berlin. During the first years the company concentrated on the construction of illumination equipment, however, its portfolio was quickly expanded to the construction of electrical railways based on the patents of the American inventor J. Frank Sprague in 1888/89.
In 1889, a separate AEG Railway Division was founded, which was responsible for the construction of the first electrical tram line in Halle in 1891.
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty was founded in 1909 by George Balfour, a Scots mechanical engineer, and Andrew Beatty, an English chartered accountant. The company described itself as "general and electrical engineers, contractors, operating managers for tramways, railways and lighting properties and for the promoting of new enterprises." The company's first contract was for a new tramway system in Dunfermline in Fife.
BBC
In 1922, the company BBC was founded in Switzerland. Besides the construction of power plants and vehicles, the company focused also on the development and production of electrical equipment.
In the same year the Catenary Department of the BBC - the latter BBC Brown Boveri, was founded in Munich.