British Thermostat Co
of Windmill Road, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex
1928 Teddington Refrigeration Controls and Teddington Appliance Controls were set up in Teddington with a payroll of four, producing controls and automatic thermostats. The Company was known as British Thermostat Co Limited.
By 1931 the Company had expanded greatly and moved to new premises at Sunbury-on-Thames, with a payroll of 60. The variety of products grew and included refrigeration controls, car thermostats and seamless metallic bellows of various sizes, which were a speciality of the Company.
1934 The Company collaborated with Rolls-Royce to produce an experimental thermostat for their cars, and a prototype thermostat system that became the forerunner of nearly every system fitted to the Merlin engines during the war. Other equipment was produced for the Spitfire and Hurricane.
1937 British Industries Fair Advert for 'Teddington' Automatic Controls: Thermostats; Valves; Controls; Thermometers. (Electricity: Industrial and Domestic Section - Stand No. Cb.900)
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
WWII. During the war the Company grew considerably with a payroll of 2,300.
1945 Advert for 'Teddington Automatic Controls' which would be sold by a subsidiary company Teddington Controls Ltd.
Post-WWII. After 1945, all aircraft work was moved to a factory in Merthyr and was known as Teddington Aircraft Controls. The Sunbury factory reverted to its commercial refrigeration business - presumably Teddington Controls.
1951 An assembly company was set up in France.
1962 Due to severe Italian competition production ceased and the French Company, known as Teddington France S. A., confined itself to selling English made products.
Due to a Government ban imposed on development in the South East, a suitable site for expansion was sought elsewhere and finally St Austell was chosen.
By 1967 the first factory section was completed.
1968 A further extension was started.
1970 The British Thermostat Co Group was merged with United Gas Industries.
1971 Teddington Aircraft Controls was sold.
1974 All Teddington Autocontrols activities had been transferred to St Austell and the machine shop was transferred to a Government factory in Camborne.
1979 The three Companies integrated into Teddington Appliance Controls and in the same year the Camborne factory was closed and component manufacture transferred to St Austell.
1982 The Hanson Group purchased United Gas Industries.
1986 It was decided to rationalise the existing factory and office space at St Austell and work started on re-building the upper factory area.
1987 All the offices and machine shop moved into the new areas.
1991 The Company acquired Teddington Industrial Equipment Limited. This led to the transfer to St Austell of the manufacture of Ministry of Defence 'Panels' and additional engine protection controls.
1993 A management buy-out formed a group of 10 companies including Teddington Controls Limited under SLD Holdings.
1998 Teddington Controls Limited acquired Lizard Electronic Developments Limited, an electronics design and manufacturing company. Its production equipment and personnel were transferred to the St. Austell site.
2000 Vida Group, a group of companies focused on measurement, monitoring and control, acquired the Company in February.
2002 October saw an acquisition of Teddington Controls Ltd by Henderson Industries.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Teddington Group Website
- 1937 British Industries Fair Advert p569; and p340
- Mechanical World Year Book 1945. Published by Emmott and Co of Manchester. Advert p43