Our History
In March of 1962, backed by the support of his wife Gloria, Ted Hines left his job as an electrical engineer with a test equipment manufacturer and launched Pine Instrument Company in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The reason he took this step was twofold:
- He wanted to work in an organization that would honor his conservative, hardworking and ethical Scandinavian roots.
- He wanted to be his own boss.
The first handful of years for Pine were a struggle and Ted took as much contract machining work as he and his one, two or three employees could handle just to make ends meet. Then the tide began to change when Ted’s engineering and business strengths caught the attention of three different groups. First, his now legendary 750 & 850 Marshal Test Presses catch the asphalt industries attention and demand began to increase. Second, his performance as a supplier and knowledge of electronics were noticed by a machined parts customer which led to Pine’s entry into the world of contract electronics assembly. Third, his unique set of problem solving skills were called upon by some leading researchers in the chemistry department of his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, which launched Pine’s entry into the developing field of electrochemical research equipment.
As Pine entered the 1970’s with all three segments of the business profitable and accumulating loyal customers, Ted turned more of his attention towards Pine’s future needs. Over the next three decades, Ted worked at increasing Pine’s strength through the hiring of talented individuals in all areas. During this same period, he invested in the capital equipment necessary to meet current and future needs.
Today, Pine Research Instrumentation, Inc. operates independently under the leadership of its President, Joe Hines. It produces high quality electrochemical instrumentation, electrodes, and accessories to the educational, research, and industrial markets.
In May 2015, the community mourned the loss of Pine Instrument Company founder, Ted Hines. His hard work, vision, and legacy live on with his son, Joe, as company President. Joe began learning the business at an early age, and continues to lead and support growth with the original core values in mind ~ Act with uncompromising honesty and integrity; Treat all with dignity and respect. This continues to hold true and is evident with the longevity and loyalty of our customers.
The Rotating Ring-Disk is Part of our Legacy
In 2016, Pine Research celebrated the 50th anniversary of W. John Albery’s seminal series on the Rotating Ring-Disk Electrode (RRDE). Albery and his colleagues, including Stanley Bruckenstein, Dennis Johnson, Duane Napp, started what would become a 24 part series on the RRDE. Several years after the series began publishing, researchers were hungry for a commercial electrode rotators, but none yet existed. This is when Bruckenstein, Napp, and Johnson worked with Ted Hines to develop and offer the first commercial electrode rotator in 1970. Since then, RRDE, and more general electrode rotators and rotating electrodes, have become ubiquitous tools in the electrochemists’ box. While electrode rotator designs have changed and evolved since the first rotator, Pine has been involved in each step of the process and continues to offer the most popular electrode rotators in the world.
The Electrode Rotator Over the Years
The very first rotator was built for Stanley Bruckenstein at The University of Minnesota in the 1968 by Pine Instrument Company. As rotating electrodes grew in popularity, so did the requirements of rotators and electrodes. Pine Instrument Company remained in step, incrementally innovating and extending electrode rotator capabilities. In 2008, when Pine Research Instrumentation emerged as its own company, focused solely on electrochemical instrumentation, the legacy continued with the MSR and CPR rotators, the WaveVortex 10, and our newest rotator, the MSR evo.
Through the Years
Early Production Facility, Grove City, PA (circa 1970’s)
Corporate Office, Grove City, PA (circa 1990’s)
Corporate Office, Grove City, PA (2024)