The Ensign-Bickford Company was formed in 1836 on the strength of one visionary invention which ultimately saved the lives of countless coal miners working in the hills of northern England - the safety fuse. From that single, revolutionary idea, Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. (EBI) and its subsidiaries have grown to embrace new technologies, which rely on manufacturing and engineering skills of the highest order.

With advances in technology, The Ensign-Bickford Company (EBCo) no longer required the extensive real estate it acquired in earlier years for manufacturing in the Farmington River Valley and as part of a major corporate reorganization in the late 1960's and early 1970's, Ensign-Bickford Realty Corporation (EBR) was formed as a subsidiary of Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. and took title to all EBCo land and buildings in Simsbury and Avon. Since 1969, Avon Parks North and South have been carefully developed to provide commercial, industrial, residential, and housing for the elderly.

In Simsbury in the early 1980's EBR identified approximately 250 acres of land for development as a high quality commercial park. The development is known as The Powder Forest® Business Park and is located one mile south of Simsbury's central business district. To date approximately 65 acres has been developed with nearly 250,000 square feet of commercial space consisting of eight office and high tech buildings, and the historic Hopbrook restaurant. The park abuts the modern 100 room Simsbury Inn. The park is home to several Fortune 500 companies, national consulting firms and regional businesses.