John Crowther and Sons
Woollen cloth maker, of Union Mills, Milnsbridge, Huddersfield
1840 John Crowther established the business
1924 Private limited company
1936 Public company John Crowther and Sons (Milnsbridge) Ltd; the chairman was the grandson of the founder. Acquired half the shares of Cloth Manufacturing Co Ltd, formed in 1932[1]
1940s Cumberland Cloth Co at Workington was a subsidiary
1971 Company acquired by Mr Joe Hyman (who had been chief executive at Viyella)[2] who centralised operations at Huddersfield.
1972 Holding company structure created as John Crowther Group[3]
1985 Acquired the British interests of Carpets International, including Kosset Carpets and Crossley Carpets and Gilt Edge. Acquired Weavercraft, a private carpet business[4]
1986 Acquired MCD Group, carpet wholesaler and distributors and W. W. Group, importer and distributor of textiles and carpets formerly known as Wilkinson Warburton[5]
1988 Coloroll acquired John Crowther[6]. Subsequently Coloroll sold the Crowther clothing operations to its management[7] (which became Response Group)