Addis






of Addis Brush Works, Hertford, Hertfordshire. Telephone: Hertford 71. Cables: "Addis, Hertford" - as Addis Estb. 1780. (1929)
Ditto Address and Cables. Telephone: Hertford 2471 - as Addis Ltd of Hertford. (1947)
- 1780 William Addis founded the company. He was the inventor of the toothbrush.
- 1880 William Addis retired from the business. His son William Addis II took over.
- 1914 The company was growing and exported around the world (mainly into the British Empire).
- 1919 Purchase of production premises in Hertford.
- 1920 The factory was ready to start production early in the year.
- 1923 Addis fitted out Queen Mary's famous dolls-house with miniature brushes which can still be seen at Windsor Castle.
- 1929 British Industries Fair Advert for Tooth and Dental Brushes. Bone and Celluloid Tooth Brushes, Nail Brushes, Dental Plate Brushes, Corn Rasps, and Paper Knives, etc. (Brushware Section - Stand No. PO.10) [1]
- 1940 The first nylon toothbrushes with plastic handles and plastic bristles were launched (Wisdom).
- WWII Manufactured parts for the De Havilland Mosquito
- 1947 British Industries Fair Advert: 'Famous for fine brushes for 167 years'. 'Wisdom' the new toothbrush. Also other Addis toothbrushes; denture brushes; nailbrushes. (Brushware Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. A.1270) [2]
- 1952 Advert on this page for Wisdom Toothbrush. [3]
- 1959 The company's first TV advertising campaign commenced.
- 1964 Upper Bank Works (on the outskirts of Swansea) was purchased - production began in September 1965.
- 1994 Addis Housewares was founded as an autonomous sister company within the Addis Group Ltd.
- 1996 The Company, privately owned for 216 years over 10 generations, was sold to its management in a management buy out.
- 1997 Addis took over Jani-Jack Limited and formed the Addis Commercial Division, servicing the needs of institutional catering and related markets.
- 1999 Merger with EMSA Werke, Addis Group Ltd became a subsidiary of EMSA Holding AG.
See Also
- [2] Addis Website
- Mosquito by C. Martin Sharp and Michael J. F. Bowyer. Published by Crecy Books in 1995. ISBN 0-947554-41-6
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1929 British Industries Fair Advert 2; and p5
- ↑ 1947 British Industries Fair Advert 257; and p6
- ↑ [1] History World