Brooks Utility Products traces its beginnings to E.J. Brooks, who founded the E.J. Brooks Company in 1873 as a lead toy manufacturer. Thanks to a good relationship with a neighbor by the name of Thomas Edison, the company quickly evolved into a lead wire seal manufacturer for the growing railcar and electric meter security markets.

Over the next century, the company would grow to acquire Ekstrom Industries – a leading provider of meter socket adapters – and Meter Devices Company – a premier supplier of knife-type test switches.