How it started
Alsthom (1928–1989)
Alsthom (at the time, with an 'h' in the word) was founded in 1928 from the merger of the French heavy engineering subsidiary of the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, the Compagnie française Thomson Houston, CFTH, and of the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques. In 1932, Alsthom expanded into transportation by acquiring the Constructions électriques de France, Tarbes, a manufacturer of electric locomotives as well as electrical and hydraulic equipment.
In 1969, Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (CGE) became the majority shareholder of Alsthom. In 1976, Alsthom merged with Chantiers de l'Atlantique, becoming Alsthom Atlantique. Thus, the business expanded into marine. The next year, it constructed the first 1300 MW generator set for the Paluel Nuclear Power Plant, setting a world record with an output of 1500 MW.
In 1978, Alsthom delivered its first TGV to SNCF. The TGV went on to break world rail speed records in 1981 (at 380 kilometres per hour (240 mph)) and in 1990 (at 515.3 kilometres per hour (320.2 mph)). It also set the world endurance record for high-speed train lines in 2001, travelling the 1,067.2 kilometres (663.1 mi) from Calais to Marseille in 3 hours and 29 minutes. In 1986, Alsthom Belfort received an order from EDF for the largest gas turbine in the world (212 MW).
In 1988–89, the holding company, CGEE Alsthom, acquired ACEC Énergie (hydroturbines and electrical equipment for the nuclear industry) and ACEC Automatisme (automation) from the dissolution of the Belgian electrical engineering company Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi. Alsthom acquired 100% of ACEC's transport division and renamed it ACEC Transport.
GEC Alsthom (1989–1998)
From Wikipedia’s article on Alstom, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3