Airscrew Company and Jicwood
of Weybridge, Surrey
1923 Company founded by J. D. Titler to manufacture airscrews, fans, etc.
1931 Incorporated as a private company.
1932 Dr H. C. Watts joined as technical director.[1].
1936 Became public company, Airscrew Co. Specialised in wooden airscrews treated by the Schwarz process to make them waterproof. Was considering taking a licence on the Samsonow process for detachable wooden blades for variable pitch ariscrews. Business was expanding as the demand was mainly for replacement blades for existing aircraft[2].
1937 Airscrew designers and manufacturers. [3]
1938 Expanding the ventilation and cooling fans activity; formed subsidiary in conjunction with Messrs Halila of London; this was called Jicwood Ltd; concerned with manufacture of wood with thermosetting resin, aircraft and commercial plywood and compressed wood using the Samsonow process; recently developed a wooden staveless barrel. Production plant installed at Weybridge[4]
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
1950 Name changed to Airscrew Company and Jicwood
1955 Manufacturers of Weyroc, the famous man-made timber, and Hardec, the decorative plastic surfaced board.
1957 Bryant and May subscribed for a substantial minority interest in the company[5].
1958 British Match Corporation acquired the company[6]
1960 British Match announced large investment to make the company the largest manmade timber producer in the world[7].
1961 Manufacturers of airscrews and fans. 678 employees. [8]
1973 Howden Group acquired Airscrew Fans from British Match which had just merged with Wilkinson Sword[9].