Saturn Industrial Gases
of Sunderland and Thornaby
of Windlesham, Surrey.
1936 Private company incorporated - Saturn Oxygen Co which acquired certain patent rights from certain US companies.
1937 Oxygen production started at the Thornaby plant
1938 Production of oxygen started at the Glasgow plant and dissolved acetylene at Sunderland.
1939 Production of oxygen started at the Sunderland plant and dissolved acetylene at Glasgow.
1944 Started to supply propane by acquiring the whole of the issued share capital of British Cutting Gases Ltd., New Process Gases Ltd., Autogenous Gases Ltd., and Augas Northern Ltd
1947 Acquired British Gas and Torch Co. Ltd., and began the manufacture of welding and cutting equipment.
1949 Withdrew from Glasgow production operations
1949 Acquired Rainville Engineering Co. Ltd., manufacturers of fractional horse-power motors.
1953 Name changed to Saturn Industrial Gases Ltd
1955 "Apart from B.O.C., the only firm which produces and supplies both oxygen and dissolved acetylene is Saturn, which supplies these gases mainly in the North East of England where its works are situated. Oxygen is supplied only as a gas: in cylinders or by pipeline to customers' works. Saturn is a principal supplier of propane which it distributes in all parts of the United Kingdom except Wales: it does not produce propane. All three gases are supplied at delivered prices."[1]
1955 Acquired H. G. Sanders and Son Ltd
1957 'British Oxygen Company's only real competitor in this field was Saturn Industrial Gases Lid, of Sunderland and Thornaby. The profit rate of Saturn was much lower than that of BOC. Saturn’s prices were "rather lower than B.O.C.'s" '[2] 'In distribution they find that there is effective competition between B.O.C. and its chief competitor, Saturn Industrial Gases, Ltd. They conclude, therefore that the monopolistic conditions in respect to the supply of propane by producers and ...'[3]
1960 Staff recruited for the office at Gordon Road. Southall.[4]
1961 Manufacturers of industrial gases, electronic tungsten argon arc welding equipment and gas cutting equipment. 300 employees. [5]
1963 Acquired by Air Products together with the subsidiaries, except for H. G. Sanders and Son.[6]