In 1950 Edward M. Smith designed a small non-corrosive centrifugal pump while employed at Barnes Manufacturing in Mansfield, Ohio. Ed believed this new pump fit a need in the appliance industry for dishwasher and washing machine drain pump applications.

The Heat Exchange Institute (HEI) is a non-profit trade association committed to the technical advancement, promotion, and understanding of a broad range of utility and industrial-scale heat exchange and vacuum apparatus. The primary purpose of HEI is to develop and publish standards which advance the technology, increase the efficiency, and promote the use of heat exchange and vacuum apparatus.