The Franklin Electric Co. brand Little Giant is celebrating a milestone 80th anniversary in 2021, and the company is marking the occasion with a series of initiatives planned throughout the year. 

"For 80 years, Little Giant has stood the test of time, pumping a steady flow of proven reliability and superior technical know-how both through the products we offer as well as the staff and support team behind the scenes. We're excited to commemorate this anniversary with initiatives that bring our partners together," said Steve Frappier, business unit manager for Little Giant.

One such initiative is a revitalized brand look that the company notes reflects the 80 years of experience in innovation, manufacturing expertise, and technical support that Little Giant provides. "Little Giant has pumped a lot of water in the past 80 years, and there is much more to look forward to in the next 80 and beyond," Frappier said.

The core product that Little Giant still offers today was originally conceived in 1926, when plumber R.M. "Doc" Wolfe had an issue with the currently available pumps failing at a frustrating rate. At the time, air conditioning units were just beginning to become popular, and each unit had a pump to get water up into a screen for evaporative cooling. Every time Wolfe fixed one of these pumps, it would break again. He enlisted the help of inventor Harry Goodman to create his solution: the world's first evaporative pump. In 1941, the Little Giant Vaporizer was born — and so was the Little Giant brand. The innovative, patented pump became the cornerstone of Little Giant — and laid the foundation for a company dedicated to solving the pumping problems plumbers and HVAC professionals faced.

 Decades of additional milestones followed including:

• In 1950, Goodman filed a patent for what was to become the iconic Little Giant submersible water pump. This upgraded Little Giant Vaporizer Pump could be used anywhere water recirculation was an issue: both underwater and on dry land.
• Later in the 1950s, the company developed the C2 and C3 pumps, signaling their entrance into the condensate pump business.
• In the early 1960s, Little Giant entered the high-flow drainage pump market with the introduction of sump pumps. The 1/3 HP 8 Series sump pump was the first to launch, appearing in the 1964 Little Giant catalog. A year later in 1965, Little Giant added the smaller 1/3 HP 6 Series sump pump and a larger 1/2 HP 10 Series. While the market has evolved over the years, the iconic 6 Series continues to be a top- performing sump pump throughout the industry.
• Innovation continued throughout the 80s and 90s as the company released more options for sump, sewage, effluent, aquarium pumps, sewage basins, pool cover pumps and decorative outdoor living products for the landscaping industry.
• The creation of the VCMA series in 1999 led to an entire next generation of Little Giant condensate pumps that are still being used today, including additional standard condensate removal pumps, low profile condensate removal pumps, in-pan condensate removal pumps, plenum and high-temperature pumps, mini-split pumps, and specialty pumps like evaporative cooler pumps and ice machine replacement pumps.
• Grinder pumps hit the market in 2000, creating even more Little Giant solutions for wastewater and HVAC professionals.

 "It all started with a problem noticed by a plumber, and today Little Giant is solving the problems of contractors, distributors, and homeowners around the world," Frappier said.