Difference between revisions of "AEI"

Revision as of 18:52, 2 June 2010

February 1952.

Associated Electrical Industries

1926 Gerard Swope, president of General Electric, proposed that BTH, Westinghouse, GEC and the English Electric Co should amalgamate. Lord Hirst of GEC was not interested in Swope’s scheme, but a new holding company was formed, Associated Electrical Industries (AEI).

1928 AEI bought BTH and Metropolitan-Vickers. Howard C. Levis became chairman of AEI.

1928 or after: AEI bought Edison Swan (Ediswan) and Ferguson Pailin, which BTH had been in the process of buying in 1928.

1937 Frank Whittle's Power Jets company built the world's first prototype jet engine at the BTH works in Rugby. BTH had a major role in developing it. Development was later moved to the Lutterworth works, which were falling into disuse at the time. BTH's directors seemed skeptical of the design and offered little help.

WW2 BTH expanded north of the River Avon into the Boughton Road site to make magnetos for aircraft engines and other war products.

1940 BTH decided they were not really interested in making jet engines due to their commitment to electrical equipment. Rover was soon selected to make jet engines.

1945 After World War II Oliver Lyttelton took over AEI, and started a massive expansion.

1947 The Hungarian scientist Dennis Gabor invented holography at the BTH site in Rugby.

1957 or after: BTH won the contract to build the new Buenos Aires power station, valued at £35 million. Rivalries intensified with Metrovick. Lyttelton continued to try to reduce this friction, leading to several unsuccessful reorganizations and slipping profits.

1959 AEI-John Thompson Nuclear Energy Company Ltd received an order for one of 3 nuclear power stations ordered by the Central Electricity Authority^[1].

1960 Jan 1 To try to cure its internal rivalry, AEI stopped using the names BTH and Metrovick. This led to a huge falling-off in sales because no-one had heard of "AEI" before, and in turn, a massive drop in AEI's stock price. Continued attempts to streamline what was two separate management structures continued to fail, and by the mid-60's the entire AEI empire was in financial trouble.

1960 Heavy electrical plant advertised under the AEI brand. Heavy plant division at Rugby and Manchester

1961 Britain's largest electrical manufacturers. Works in more than 50 UK towns. Employ 103,450 persons.

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 * 1957 or after: [[BTH]] won the contract to build the new Buenos Aires power station, valued at £35 million. Rivalries intensified with [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick]]. Lyttelton continued to try to reduce this friction, leading to several unsuccessful reorganizations and slipping profits.
-* 1960 Jan 1 To try to cure this, AEI stopped using the names [[BTH]] and [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick]]. This led to a huge falling-off in sales because no-one had heard of "AEI" before, and in turn, a massive drop in AEI's stock price. Continued attempts to streamline what was two separate management structures continued to fail, and by the mid-60's the entire AEI empire was in financial trouble.
+* 1959 AEI-John Thompson Nuclear Energy Company Ltd received an order for one of 3 nuclear power stations ordered by the Central Electricity Authority<ref>The Times, 14 December 1956</ref>.
+* 1960 Jan 1 To try to cure its internal rivalry, AEI stopped using the names [[BTH]] and [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick]]. This led to a huge falling-off in sales because no-one had heard of "AEI" before, and in turn, a massive drop in AEI's stock price. Continued attempts to streamline what was two separate management structures continued to fail, and by the mid-60's the entire AEI empire was in financial trouble.
 * 1960: The AEI research lab was built (building BR57 in the Boughton Road site).