Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

InterNorth

Internorth Inc. was a large energy company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, specializing in natural gas pipelines. It originated as a holding company for Northern Natural Gas Company as that company sought to diversify, adopting the InterNorth name in 1979.

Later that year the company launched an unsolicited takeover bid for Crouse-Hinds Company, which wound up being acquired by Cooper Industries the following year. The company continued to pursue expansion opportunities, and in 1985 reached a deal, seen by some as overpriced, to acquire the smaller competitor Houston Natural Gas.

This proved a "wag-the-dog" transaction... the company soon was headquartered in Houston and run by HNG's CEO, who renamed the company Enron Corporation.