H. C. Slingsby
of 142-145 Old Street, London
of 89/97 Kingsway, London, WC2. (Telephone: Holborn 2707/8. Telegraphic Address: "Truckman, Westcent, London". (1937)
1893 Company founded. The family firm Wholesale Bottlers established themselves in Bradford. Harry Crowther Slingsby, Managing Director, began to look into the invention of labour saving devices for the company. He had recognised that working practices in the local factories relied heavily on manual hauling and gravity for the movement of raw materials and products from floor to floor. However, this did not solve the problem of moving items horizontally around large buildings.
Slingsby set about creating robust trucks and trolleys to move heavy loads with relative ease. Different designs were created for different purposes - sack trolleys for moving large sacks of flour, sugar and dried fruit around grocery stores; high wheeled flat carts towed by one or two people; trucks fitted with wicker baskets carried fibres around textile mills.
1920 April. Issued catalogue on ladders [1]
1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. "Slingsby" Sliding Wheel Trucks, Sack Trucks, Platform Trucks, Handcarts, Stackers, Wheels, Castors, Barrows, Steelback Extension Ladders, Steelheld Extension Step Ladders, Sliding Stairways, Attic Ladders, Loft Ladders, Tower Ladders, Lifting Trucks. (Stand No. B.519) [2]
1948 Private company.
1961 The company went public and became H. C. Slingsby plc.
1961 Manufacturers of trucks, barrows and extension ladders designed for factory and warehouse work [3]
Several members of the Slingsby family remain on the board of directors.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] H. C. Slingsby plc - Website