British Plaster Board
1917 Production of gypsum plasterboard, which started in USA, was introduced to UK in 1917 when British Plaster Board Ltd was formed as a private company with a capital of £20,000. A plant was erected at Wallasey.
1930s The speculative house building boom led to a considerable growth of demand for plasterboard, particularly for ceiling construction.
1932 British Plaster Board became a public company
1944 British Plaster Board acquired Gyproc Products from Distillers Co in exchange for shares in the company[1].
1948 New plaster production unit opened at Cafferata and Co. The 2 subsidiary companies making roofing felt had expanded production. Acquired J. Perks and Sons (Forgings) Ltd, adding to their existing business in the same general area, namely Gill Stampings Ltd. Gypsum Industries Ltd was an associate company in South Africa[2]
1951 Acquired the valve manufacturing business of William Ross and Sons[3]
1953 Acquired C. Davidson and Sons[4]
By 1954 had acquired the Gotham Co Ltd, Thomas McGhie and Sons Ltd, the Long Meg Plaster and Mineral Co Ltd[5]
1954 The company changed its name to British Plaster Board (Holdings) Ltd and its manufacturing activities were taken over by a new subsidiary, British Plaster Board (Manufacturing) Ltd.
1960 Acquired Britannia Folding Box Co Ltd; the subsidiary Drycon Ltd had developed a new system of building to take advantage of the dry-lining possible using plasterboard; Gypsum Mines Ltd opened a new anhydrite mine; the Davidson group of paper and paper board companies made an improving contribution to profits; D. Anderson and Son had better prospects, supplying roofing felt to the building trade[6]
By 1963 Plaster Products (Greenhithe) was a subsidiary
By 1963 other subsidiaries in the paper and paperboard products group were: [7]
as well as various Davidson companies.
1964 Production activities were taken over by a newly formed subsidiary, British Gypsum
1965 Sold H. Gill (Stampings) and William Ross and Sons[8] to Imperial Metal Industries
1965 Formed Davidson Radcliffe Ltd to hold the shares in all the subsidiaries in the paper products division which would be integrated into one organisation[9]
1965 the name of the parent company was changed to BPB Industries
See Also
Sources of Information
- Competition Commission report [1]