| Year | Detail | 
|---|
| 1885 | Johnson Electric Service Company was founded. | 
| 1907 | Introduced line of gasoline cars. | 
| 1913 | Hoover Steel Ball Company opens to serve the precision bearing and automotive industries. | 
| 1925 | Johnson Service Company buys the patent for a dual thermostat. | 
| 1940 | Johnson Service Company goes public. | 
| 1964 | Johnson Service Company builds its first European manufacturing plant in Lomagna Italy. | 
| 1974 | The company changes its name to Johnson Controls Inc. | 
| 1978 | Johnson Controls acquires Globe-Union. | 
| 1985 | The company acquired Hoover Universal. | 
| 2002 | Johnson Controls acquires its Varta automotive battery division based in Germany. | 
| 2003 | The company acquires Borg Instruments of Germany. | 
| 2005 | The company acquires York International heating. | 
| 2023 | Johnson Controls partners with Nucor to recycle nearly 100% of scrap steel at Johnson Controls facilities in the U.S. |