of Bagot Street, Birmingham
1898 Company founded.
1900-1940s Sometime in this period they were makers of sliding seat mechanisms.
1929 Various accessories and fittings sold under the Widney name, including drop-window mechanism for saloon coaches, seat fittings, ventilators, revolving ashtrays, etc.[1]
1937 Offered Widney Auto-Static brake.[2]
1947 Private company.
1951 Widney brand.
1953 Company made public.
1953 of Widney Works, Birmingham, 4, made a seat with an automatically adjustable back, giving comfort without complication or heavy additional expense.[3]
1961 Products include windows for omnibuses, railway coaches and motor vehicles. Simplastic glazing process used in vehicle window and windscreen manufacture. 800 employees. [4]
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Mechanisms for adjustable seats. [5]
1976 'Three trading divisions for Hallam Sleigh.
Hallam Sleigh & Cheston of Birmingham is to start trading as three separate trading divisions. They are Widney Dorlec, Widney Windows and HSC Engineering. Each will have separate divisional boards. Mr. M A. Ferry has been appointed joint managing director at all three divisions, with Mr. W. R. Cheston at Widney Dorlec and Mr. A. A. Cheston at the other two. At Widney Windows, Mr. T. Webb has been appointed director and general manager and Mr. W R Cheston a director. At Widney Dorlec, Mr. L. Booth becomes commercial director. Mr. P. R. Carter and Mr. C. Vaughan, directors and general managers, and Mr. C. H. Davis, technical director. HSC Engineering has Mr D W. Atkins as commercial director: Mr. D. C. T. Smith. director and general manager, and Mr. W. H. Stuart. sales director.'[6]
The company was making losses and cut its workforce in half to save money. There was a rights issue in April[7]. Presumably at this point the name of the group was changed to Widney which first announced its interim results in August[8].
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Commercial Motor 29th October 1929
- ↑ Commercial Motor 24th December 1937
- ↑ Commercial Motor 1st May 1953
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- ↑ 1963 Motor Show
- ↑ Birmingham Daily Post - Thursday 26 February 1976 1982
- ↑ The Times Apr. 22, 1982
- ↑ The Times Aug. 6, 1982
- Birmingham’s Industrial Heritage by Ray Shill. Published by Sutton Publishing 2002. ISBN 0-7509-2593-0