Miles Druce and Co
of Horn Lane, Acton, London
of High Wycombe (1971)
1789 Company founded as a partnership of iron, steel and zinc stockholders of London and West Bromwich[1].
1857 "Crown and Thistle" brand established for crown iron bars
1888 Small keg and drum-making business at Thornton Heath was acquired
1937 Miles Druce and Co was established as a private company to acquire certain businesses of iron, steel and zinc merchants (the othes being Thomas Bonser and Co of Birmingham) and the brewers W. and R. Wilkins Ltd[2]
1939 Acquired John Knox and Co, steel stockholders of London
1954 Company made public - iron and steel stockholders of London and Birmingham[3]. Acquired Trafford Park Steel Warehouse Ltd[4] Acquired Floodgate Steel Fabricating Co of Birmingham.
1957 Acquired Godwin, Warren and Co[5]
1960 Acquired Douglas Elliott and Co/Douglas Elliot Steel Ltd of Leeds[6]
1961 Engaged in steel stockholding, steel fabrication and structural engineering; manufacturing of steel containers. 600 employees. [7]
1962 Acquired Jackson Harding of Hebburn on Tyne[8]
1963 Acquired H. B. Everton Roadways[9]
1964 Acquired P. B. Grigg and Sons[10]
1965 Acquired 50 percent of Aluminium Distributors of Old Hill, Staffs, to handle distribution of the products of James Booth Aluminium[11].
1966 Acquired Scottish steel stockholders A. G. McFadden and Co; claimed to be the UK's largest steel stockholder[12]
1967 Reorganisation on national basis was expected to provide advantages in dealing with the new British Steel company[13]. Steel stockholders stop price-fixing.
1967 Acquired General Steel and Iron of Barking[14]
1967 Acquired E. and H. P. Smith's steel stockholding subsidiaries Alder Hardware and H. L. Reynolds[15]
1968 Had introduced a computer which "revolutionized steel stockholding"[16] but computer problems and a new warehouse affected profits[17]
1969 Acquired A. Jackman and Co[18]. Had 10 percent of the UK market.
1970 Acquired Cramond and Co of Dundee[19] and W. M. and A. Quiney[20]
1971 Substantial fall in profit due to slump in demand[21]
1972 GKN, which had 13 percent share of the market, made a take-over bid for the company[22] which was unsuccessful. The company indicated it would diversify away from steel[23]
1974 GKN took over the company after delays due to need for approval from European Commission and uncertainty about the rules[24].
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, Feb 24, 1954
- ↑ The Times, Feb 03, 1937
- ↑ The Times, Feb 11, 1954
- ↑ The Times, Feb 24, 1954
- ↑ The Times, Jan 11, 1957
- ↑ The Times, Aug 26, 1960
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- ↑ The Times, Aug 24, 1962
- ↑ The Times, Oct 30, 1963
- ↑ The Times, Jul 07, 1964
- ↑ The Times, Feb 11, 1965
- ↑ The Times, Mar 30, 1966
- ↑ The Times, May 01, 1967
- ↑ The Times, Jun 03, 1967
- ↑ The Times, Dec 30, 1967
- ↑ The Times, Apr 24, 1968
- ↑ The Times, Feb 06, 1969
- ↑ The Times, Feb 06, 1969
- ↑ The Times, Apr 29, 1970
- ↑ The Times, Jun 27, 1970
- ↑ The Times, Sep 16, 1971
- ↑ The Times, Jan 15, 1972
- ↑ The Times (London, England), Saturday, Apr 13, 1972
- ↑ The Times, Apr 13, 1974