Siebe, Gorman and Co

1880

1880

‎‎

1889

1918

1945

‎‎

1951

of Neptune Works, Davis Road, Chessington, Surrey; and Red Lion Court, Holborn, London

of 187 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1. Telephone: Waterloo 6071/2/3/4. Telegraphic Address: "Siebe, Lamb, London". (1937) As Siebe, Gorman and Co

• 1819 Established. The company advertised itself as 'Submarine Engineers'. It was founded by Augustus Siebe and his son-in-law, Gorman.

• First commercial refrigeration machine based on vapour compression (Siebe Brothers).

• 1894 Exhibited diving apparatus at the Antwerp Exhibition.

• 1904 Incorporated as a limited company.

• 1914 Submarine engineers and manufacturers of diving apparatus and all other submarine appliances. Specialities: diving apparatus, diving bells, submarine electric lamps, submarine telephones, submarine appliances of all descriptions, smoke helmets, rescue appliances for mines etc. Employees 200.

• 1920 Private company.

• 1920 Camera for use in flooded mines. (Siebe, Gorman and Co)

• 1937 Engineers.

• 1937 British Industries Fair Advert for: Diving Apparatus; Submarine Appliances; Oxygen Breathing Apparatus; Smoke Helmets; Resuscitating Apparatus; Gas Masks and all other Protective Devices including Dust Respirators, Sand Blast Helmets, Metal Spray Helmets, Protective Clothing, and Safety appliances of all descriptions. (Engineering/Metals/Quarry, Roads and Mining/Transport Section - Stand Nos. D.839 and D.738)

• 1952 Company made public.

• 1960 Advert for safety equipment for mines. (Siebe, Gorman)

• 1960's Siebe started making scuba gear aimed at the public market (sometimes using the trade names Essgee and Essjee), although they had made it earlier for work divers and the Navy. They also continued to make diving bell equipment and pressure chambers.

• 1961 Submarine engineers, industrial safety engineers, manufacturers of diving and breathing apparatus and personal industrial protective equipment. Engaged in development and production of under water television equipment in association with Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. Ltd. 500 employees.

• 1961 Siebe Gorman took over Heinke.

• 1975 Siebe Gorman moved to Cwmbran in Wales, and concentrated on fire-fighter's breathing equipment.

• 1985 Siebe acquired CompAir.

• 1987 Siebe acquired Barber-Colman Co. (industrial automation, commercial controls, etc.)

• 1990 Siebe acquired the Foxboro Co (industrial automation).

• 1994 Siebe acquired Triconex.

• 1997 Siebe acquired APV plc (vessel manufacturer: plant not marine).

• 1998 Siebe acquired Eurotherm, Wonderware, and SimSci. (SimSci makes industrial controls)

• Siebe Gorman sold as part North Safety Products to Norcross Safety Products. At the end of 1998, the plant at Cwmbran was closed and production of breathing apparatus was transferred to Dukinfield in Manchester. Although oxygen rebreather manufacturing capability still existed at the relocation, no manufacture or overhaul was carried out at the new site.

• 1999 Siebe acquired Esscor.

• 1999 At the end of the year, Norcross sold what had been Siebe Gorman as a going concern to an Iranian entrepreneur Parvis Moradifor. The company was re-named Air Master Technology Limited from the name of the famous Siebe Gorman breathing apparatus.

• 1999 BTR Industries and Siebe (briefly BTR Siebe) merged to create Invensys.

Sources of Information

• [1] Wikipedia