Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 162,238 pages of information and 244,492 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Difference between revisions of "Distillers Co"

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[[Image:Im100218-Distillers.jpg|thumb| ]]
[[Image:Im100218-Distillers.jpg|thumb| ]]
[[Image:Im100415-DCL.jpg|thumb| Advertising sign for 'King George IV' whisky. ]][[Image:Im18990114ILN-DCL.jpg|thumb| January 1899. ]]
[[Image:Im100415-DCL.jpg|thumb| Advertising sign for 'King George IV' whisky. ]]
[[Image:Im18990114ILN-DCL.jpg|thumb| January 1899. ]]
[[image:Im1905PEARS-DCL.jpg|thumb| 1905. ]]
[[image:Im190810Lon-Distill.jpg|thumb| October 1908.]]
[[image:Im190810Lon-Distill.jpg|thumb| October 1908.]]
[[Image:Im1947BIF-BW1-Distillers.jpg|thumb| 1947. ]]
[[Image:Im1949BIF-Dist4.jpg|thumb| 1949. Biochemicals. ]]
[[Image:Im1949BIF-Dist4.jpg|thumb| 1949. Biochemicals. ]]
[[Image:Im1949BIF-Distil.jpg|thumb| 1949. ]]
[[Image:Im1949BIF-Distil.jpg|thumb| 1949. ]]
[[Image:Im1951BIF-BW1-Distillers1.jpg|thumb| 1951. LHS. ]]
[[Image:Im1951BIF-BW1-Distillers2.jpg|thumb| 1951. RHS. ]]
[[Image:Im1965LE-Dist2.jpg|thumb| 1965. Chemicals and Plastics Group. Carbon Dioxide Division. ]]


of 21 St. James's Square, London, SW1. Telephone: Whitehall 1040. Cables: "Fermenter, London". (1947)
of 21 St. James's Square, London, SW1. Telephone: Whitehall 1040. Cables: "Fermenter, London". (1947)


* 1877 The '''Distillers Company Limited''' was a public company formed by a combination of six Scotch whisky distilleries.
1877 The '''Distillers Company Limited''' was a public company formed by a combination of six Scotch whisky distilleries.
 
c.1885 Began a policy of diversification to spread risks of failure in any one part of the business<ref>The Times, 17 July 1915</ref>.
 
1910 Controlled 10 distilleries in Scotland, five in Ireland and one in Liverpool<ref>The Times 11 April 1910</ref>.
 
1915 The yeast business was sending weekly supplies to the forces in France<ref>The Times, 17 July 1915</ref>.  Industrial alcohol was in great demand for the manufacture of explosives; this was important to the company even though the price was not as good as for potable spirit; the directors were alive to the potential for using alcohol for making other products.
 
1922 Production of "Discol", motor fuel made from alcohol which although expensive might help to alleviate shortage of petrol<ref>The Times, 17 July 1922</ref>.
 
1922 Acquired the gin business of [[Tanqueray, Gordon and Co]]<ref>The Times, 20 September 1967</ref>.
 
1924 In order to find a cheaper feedstock than molasses for making Discol, the company acquired 2 "Continental" processes that were amalgamated in a new company '''International Sugar and Alcohol Co''', in which '''Distillers''' had the controlling vote<ref>The Times, 24 July 1924</ref>.
 
1925 Acquired the Salt End distillery at Hull (built by [[Herbert Green and Co]] in 1924)
 
1928 [[Turner and Newall]] and [[Distillers Co]] jointly formed the [[Carbon Dioxide Co]] Ltd to handle sales of the gas produced by some of their works<ref>The Times, 15 December 1928</ref>.
 
1930 Arrangement with [[United Molasses Co]] for exchange of shares<ref>The Times, 23 September 1930</ref>.  Formation of [[British Industrial Solvents]] Ltd to make acids and other solvents from industrial alcohol<ref>The Times, 24 July 1945</ref>.
 
1933 [[Gyproc Products]] Ltd, controlled by [[Distillers Co]], was formed  at Rochester and subsequently at Glasgow.
 
1934 [[Distillers Co]] gave [[Cleveland Petroleum Products Co]] the rights to use the trademark ''Discol'' in exchange for an undertaking to buy the alcohol needed from '''Distillers'''<ref>The Times, 23 July 1934</ref>.
 
1936 Advert: [[Cleveland Discol]] fuel<ref>The Times, 26 June 1936</ref>.
 
1937 Acquired [[Booths Distilleries]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 20 September 1967</ref>.
 
1937 The [[Distillers Co]] purchased a small company, [[British Resin Products]] Ltd (BRP), manufacturers of paint and other thermosetting resins in Tonbridge, Kent.
 
1937 [[United Glass Bottle Manufacturers]] acquired four bottle manufacturers from the [[Distillers Co]].
 
1937 With [[Crosse and Blackwell]], the [[Distillers Co]] held a controlling interest in the '''British Vinegar Co'''<ref>The Times, 28 May 1937</ref>.
 
1937 AGM told that the company recognised that may be necessary to explore 2 or 3 new lines of business arising from chemical developments in the laboratory in order to find a successful extension to the business. Extension of Gyproc business in Scotland, and Carbonic Acid (dry ice) business at Bankhall and Hammersmith<ref>The Times, 19 July 1937</ref>.
 
1939 Acquired majority holding in '''Commercial Solvents''' Ltd of Bromborough, Cheshire, which made industrial alcohol and solvents by fermentation<ref>The Times, 24 July 1939</ref>.
 
1939 [[Distillers Co]], being a supplier of raw materials for plastics and having conducted research in plastics, negotiated a 50% interest in [[B. X. Plastics]]<ref>The Times, 23 August 1939</ref>.
 
1941 Acquired shareholding of 48% in [[F. A. Hughes and Co]] Ltd.  


* c.1885 Began a policy of diversification to spread risks of failure in any one part of the business<ref>The Times, 17 July 1915</ref>.
1944 Sold [[Gyproc Products]] Ltd to [[British Plaster Board]] Ltd in exchange for shares in that company<ref>The Times, 26 July 1944</ref>.


* 1910 Controlled 10 distilleries in Scotland, five in Ireland and one in Liverpool<ref>The Times 11 April 1910</ref>.
WWII: The company was able to produce less than one year's normal output of whisky during the whole war.  Fortunately it was able to draw on stocks to maintain limited sales.  Production of various chemicals was a major contribution to the war effort and the largest penicillin plant was under construction at the end of the war<ref>The Times, 24 July 1945</ref>.


* 1915 The yeast business was sending weekly supplies to the forces in France<ref>The Times, 17 July 1915</ref>.  Industrial alcohol was in great demand for the manufacture of explosives; this was important to the company even though the price was not as good as for potable spirit; the directors were alive to the potential for using alcohol for making other products.
1945 Purchased outstanding 52% of [[F. A. Hughes and Co]] Ltd involved in plastics and moulding<ref>The Times, 24 July 1945</ref>.


* 1922 Production of "Discol", motor fuel made from alcohol which although expensive might help to alleviate shortage of petrol<ref>The Times, 17 July 1922</ref>.
1947 Investment by '''Distillers''' in the works of [[British Industrial Solvents]] at Salt End, Hull to increase production of solvents, plasticisers, acetic acid, etc<ref>The Times, 12 April 1947</ref>.  Reorganisation and centralisation of plastics production at Barry.  Purchase of the penicillin factory at Speke that the company had been operating for the government. Plans to develop large petrochemical plant at Grangemouth in conjunction with [[BP|Anglo Iranian Oil]], adjacent to the latter company's refinery.  New plant would be built by [[British Geon]] Ltd to make PVC in association with the [[B. F. Goodrich Co|B. F. Goodrich Chemical Co]]; [[British Resin Products]] would also build new plant<ref>The Times, 17 October 1947</ref>.


* 1922 Acquired the gin business of [[Tanqueray, Gordon and Co]]<ref>The Times, 20 September 1967</ref>.
1947 British Industries Fair Advert as Producers of Industrial Alcohol, Solvents, Plasticisers and a wide range of chemicals including Carbon Dioxide, Methylated Spirit, Acetone, Butanol, Acetic Acid, Anhydride and their derivatives.  (Chemicals etc. Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. A.1024) <ref>[[1947 British Industries Fair]] Advert 263; and p84</ref>


* 1924 In order to find a cheaper feedstock than molasses for making Discol, the company acquired 2 "Continental" processes that were amalgamated in a new company '''International Sugar and Alcohol Co''', in which '''Distillers''' had the controlling vote<ref>The Times, 24 July 1924</ref>.
1950 Project at Grangemouth of [[British Hydrocarbon Chemicals|British Petroleum Chemicals]] Ltd (a joint venture with [[BP|Anglo Iranian Oil]]) will produce synthetic ethanol which would alleviate the supply problems with molasses. Grangemouth would also be the location for a new plant to make styrene monomer by a new company, [[Forth Chemicals]] Ltd, which was owned two-thirds by [[BP|Anglo Iranian Oil]] and one third by [[Monsanto Chemicals]] Ltd - this was part of a plan to make derivatives from the petrochemicals made by the main plant at Grangemouth.  Acquired majority interest in [[Magnesium Elektron]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 16 September 1950</ref>.


* 1928 [[Turner and Newall]] and [[Distillers Co]] jointly formed the [[Carbon Dioxide Co]] Ltd to handle sales of the gas produced by some of their works<ref>The Times, 15 December 1928</ref>.
1951 Acquired the remainder of the shares in [[Magnesium Elektron]] Ltd from [[ICI]]<ref>The Times, 17 September 1951</ref>.


* 1930 Arrangement with [[United Molasses Co]] for exchange of shares<ref>The Times, 23 September 1930</ref>.
1954 [[Distillers Co]] and [[Fisons]] would jointly acquire [[Murgatroyds Salt and Chemical Co.]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 28 September 1954</ref> in order to safeguard their supplies of feedstocks important to their plastics businesses.


* 1933 [[Gyproc Products]] Ltd, controlled by [[Distillers Co]], was formed  at Rochester and subsequently at Glasgow.
1954 In conjunction with the Oronite Chemical Co of California, [[Distillers Co]] formed [[Orobis]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 19 August 1954</ref> to manufacture a range of Oronite's lub. oil additives in the UK.


* 1934 [[Distillers Co]] gave [[Cleveland Petroleum Products Co]] the rights to use the trademark ''Discol'' in exchange for an undertaking to buy the alcohol needed from '''Distillers'''<ref>The Times, 23 July 1934</ref>.
1955 New plant to make vinyl acetate would be built at Salt End, Hull; it would be owned by a new company [[Hedon Chemicals]] Ltd jointly owned by [[Distillers Co]] and '''Shawinigan Chemicals''' of Montreal. Sales would be handled by Shawinigan and [[British Industrial Solvents]]<ref>The Times, 29 April 1955</ref>.


* 1936 Advert: Cleveland Discol fuel<ref>The Times, 26 June 1936</ref>.
1956 '''British Petroleum Chemicals''' Ltd was renamed [[British Hydrocarbon Chemicals]]<ref>The Times, 23 August 1956</ref>.


* 1937 Acquired [[Booths Distilleries]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 20 September 1967</ref>.
1958 Licenced UK rights to thalidomide.


* 1937 The [[Distillers Co]] purchased a small company, [[British Resin Products]] Ltd (BRP), manufacturers of paint and other thermosetting resins in Tonbridge, Kent.  
1959 Wound up '''Commercial Solvents''' as the products of molasses fermentation were no longer competitive<ref>The Times 20 August 1959</ref>.  


* 1937 [[United Glass Bottle Manufacturers]] acquired four bottle manufacturers from the [[Distillers Co]].
1961 Parent of 63 subsidiaries. 22,800 group employees. <ref>[[1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises]]</ref>


* 1939 [[Distillers Co]] took a 50% interest in [[British Xylonite Co]].  
1961 [[Distillers Co]] bought the entire [[British Xylonite Co|British Xylonite]] Group.


* 1947 British Industries Fair Advert as Producers of Industrial Alcohol, Solvents, Plasticisers and a wide range of chemicals including Carbon Dioxide, Methylated Spirit, Acetone, Butanol, Acetic Acid, Anhydride and their derivatives.  (Chemicals etc. Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. A.1024) <ref>[[1947 British Industries Fair]] Advert 263; and p84</ref>
1962 Withdrew thalidomide from the market on news of adverse side effects<ref>The Times, 23 August 1962</ref>. [[Distillers Co]] and '''Union Carbide''' agreed to transfer the majority holding in [[Bakelite]] into a jointly owned company (plus an offer to acquire the remaining shares), as well as '''Union Carbide's''' low density polyethylene activities at Grangemouth and the whole of [[British Xylonite Co]] <ref>The Times, 5 October 1962</ref>. The new company would be called [[Bakelite Xylonite]] Ltd. This would include plants at Birmingham, Aycliffe and Grangemouth.  Distillers sold its biochemical division to '''Eli Lilly''' of USA<ref>The Times, 19 October 1962</ref>.


* 1954 [[Distillers Co]] and [[Fisons]] would jointly acquire [[Murgatroyds Salt and Chemical Co.]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 28 September 1954</ref> in order to safeguard their supplies of feedstocks important to their plastics businesses.
1963 Component parts of the Distillers Company were:
* Scotch Whisky, Gin, Vodka.
* Food group, including [[United Yeast Co]], and [[Peerless Refining Co]].
* Industrial group, principally in chemicals and plastics where there were 4 chemical divisions and 4 plastics companies as well as 2 service units; in the past year a 49% interest had been purchased in [[Synthite]] Ltd; others in this group included [[Bakelite Xylonite]], [[Border Chemicals]] (a joint venture with [[BP]] and [[ICI]]), [[Murgatroyds Salt and Chemical Co.]] Ltd, [[Orobis]] Ltd., and [[British Hydrocarbon Chemicals]] Ltd (a joint venture with [[BP]])<ref>The Times, 21 August 1963</ref>.


* 1954 In conjunction with the Oronite Chemical Co of California, [[Distillers Co]] formed [[Orobis]] Ltd<ref>The Times, 19 August 1954</ref> to manufacture a range of Oronite's lub. oil additives in the UK.
1964 New acetic acid plant would be built at Hull using a process developed by Distillers.  The carbide plant at Kenfig would be closed.<ref>The Times, 21 August 1964</ref>.


* 1961 Parent of 63 subsidiaries. 22,800 group employees. <ref>[[1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises]]</ref>
1965 Purchased the share in [[Hedon Chemicals]] owned by [[Shawinigan Chemicals]]. Planned to construct vinyl actetate plant at Hull in conjunction with [[British Celanese]]<ref>The Times, 20 August 1965</ref>. 


* 1961 [[Distillers Co]] bought the entire [[British Xylonite Co|British Xylonite]] Group in 1961.
1966 [[Border Chemicals]] would establish a plant, based on Distillers' process for manufacturing acrylate, at Wilton; Distillers also licensed the process to Union Carbide who would build a plant 6 times as large in USA<ref>The Times, 3 March 1966</ref>.  


* 1962 [[Distillers Co]] and '''Union Carbide''' agreed to transfer the majority holding in [[Bakelite]] (plus an offer to acquire the remaining shares), as well as '''Union Carbide's''' low density polyethylene activities at Grangemouth and the whole of [[British Xylonite Co]] into a jointly owned company<ref>The Times, 5 October 1962</ref> which would be called [[Bakelite Xylonite]] Ltd. This would include plants at Birmingham, Aycliffe and Grangemouth.
1967 [[Distillers Co]] sold its chemicals and plastics business to [[BP]] because the division did not have the scale of its major competitors in USA. This included the distillery at Salt End, Hull. Negotiation about some of the JVs took months - by mid-year [[BP]] had acquired 5 of the joint ventures: '''National Chemical Products''' (of South Africa), '''Murgatroyd's Salt and Chemical Co. Ltd''', [[Orobis]] Ltd., [[Synthite]] and [[British Hydrocarbon Chemicals]] Ltd.  Union Carbide vetoed the sale of the 50% share in [[Bakelite Xylonite]].  9 other joint ventures were the subject of ongoing negotiation<ref>The Times, 3 June 1967</ref>.


* 1963 Component parts of the Distillers Company were:
1973 [[Distillers Co]] sold its 50% stake in [[Bakelite Xylonite]] to Union Carbide<ref>The Times, 25 May 1973</ref>.
** Scotch Whisky, Gin, Vodka.
** Food group, including United Yeast Co, and Peerless Refining Co
** Industrial group, principally in chemicals and plastics where there were 4 chemical divisions and 4 plastics companies as well as 2 service units; in the past year a 49% interest had been purchased in [[Synthite]] Ltd; others in this group included [[Bakelite Xylonite]], [[Border Chemicals]] (a joint venture with [[BP]] and [[ICI]]), [[Murgatroyds Salt and Chemical Co.]] Ltd, [[Orobis]] Ltd., and [[British Hydrocarbon Chemicals]] Ltd (a joint venture with [[BP]])<ref>The Times, 21 August 1963</ref>.


* 1966 [[Border Chemicals]] would establish a plant based on Distillers' process for manufacturing acrylate at Wilton; Distillers also licensed the process to Union Carbide who would build a plant 6 times as large in USA<ref>The Times, 3 March 1966</ref>.  
A list of 41 subsidiaries of the Distillers Company as of 22 July 1980:
* [[Ainslie and Heilbron (Distillers)]], Glasgow
* [[Baird-Taylor]], Glasgow
* [[John Begg]], Glasgow
* [[Benmore Distilleries]], Glasgow
* [[J. A. Bertram and Co]], Edinburgh
* [[John Bisset and Co]], Edinburgh
* [[James Buchanan and Co]], London
* [[Bulloch Lade and Co]], Glasgow
* [[George Cowie and Son]], Dufftown
* [[John Crabbie and Co]], Edinburgh
* [[Craighall Bonding Co]], Glasgow
* [[A. and A. Crawford]], Edinburgh
* [[Daniel Crawford and Co]], Glasgow
* [[Distillers Agency]], South Queensferry
* [[Peter Dawson]], Glasgow
* [[John Dewar and Sons]], Perth
* [[A. Ferguson and Co]], Edinburgh
* [[Donald Fisher]], Edinburgh
* [[John Gillon and Co]], Glasgow
* [[William Greer and Co]], Glasgow
* [[John Haig and Co]], Fife
* [[J. and W. Hardie]], Edinburgh
* [[J. and R. Harvey and Co]], Glasgow
* [[John Hopkins and Co]], Glasgow
* [[Low Robertson and Co]], Edinburgh
* [[W. P. Lowrie and Co]], Glasgow
* [[Macdonald Greenlees]], Edinburgh
* [[Macleay Duff (Distillers)]], Glasgow
* [[D. and J. McCallum]], Edinburgh
* [[John McEwan and Co]], Edinburgh
* [[Mitchell Brothers (of Glasgow)| Mitchell Brothers]], Glasgow
* [[James Munro and Son]], Edinburgh
* [[John Robertson and Son]], Edinburgh
* [[William Sanderson and Son]], Edinburgh
* [[Slater, Rodger and Co]], Glasgow
* [[J. and G. Stewart]], Edinburgh
* [[R. H. Thomson and Co|R. H. Thomson and Co (Distillers)]], Edinburgh
* [[John Walker and Sons]], London
* [[James Watson and Co]], Dundee
* [[White Horse Distillers]], Glasgow
* [[Wright and Greig]], Glasgow
1986 It was acquired by [[Guinness and Co| Guinness]].  


* 1967 [[BP]] acquired most of Distillers' chemical interests including 5 of the joint ventures '''National Chemical Products''' (of South Africa), '''Murgatroyd's Salt and Chemical Co. Ltd''', [[Orobis]] Ltd., [[Synthite]] and [[British Hydrocarbon Chemicals]] Ltd.  Union Carbide vetoed the sale of the 50% share in [[Bakelite Xylonite]].  9 other joint ventures were the subject of ongoing negotiation<ref>The Times, 3 June 1967</ref>.
1987 [[United Distillers]] was formed from combining the businesses of [[Distillers Co]] and [[Arthur Bell and Sons]], both owned by [[Guinness and Co| Guinness]].


* A list of 41 subsidiaries of the Distillers Company as of 22 July 1980:
1997 Became part of [[Diageo]].
** [[Ainslie and Heilbron (Distillers)]], Glasgow
** [[Baird-Taylor]], Glasgow
** [[John Begg]], Glasgow
** [[Benmore Distilleries]], Glasgow
** [[J. A. Bertram and Co]], Edinburgh
** [[John Bisset and Co]], Edinburgh
** [[James Buchanan and Co]], London
** [[Bulloch Lade and Co]], Glasgow
** [[George Cowie and Son]], Dufftown
** [[John Crabbie and Co]], Edinburgh
** [[Craighall Bonding Co]], Glasgow
** [[A. and A. Crawford]], Edinburgh
** [[Daniel Crawford and Co]], Glasgow
** [[Distillers Agency]], South Queensferry
** [[Peter Dawson]], Glasgow
** [[John Dewar and Sons]], Perth
** [[A. Ferguson and Co]], Edinburgh
** [[Donald Fisher]], Edinburgh
** [[John Gillon and Co]], Glasgow
** [[William Greer and Co]], Glasgow
** [[John Haig and Co]], Fife
** [[J. and W. Hardie]], Edinburgh
** [[J. and R. Harvey and Co]], Glasgow
** [[John Hopkins and Co]], Glasgow
** [[Low Robertson and Co]], Edinburgh
** [[W. P. Lowrie and Co]], Glasgow
** [[Macdonald Greenlees]], Edinburgh
** [[Macleay Duff (Distillers)]], Glasgow
** [[D. and J. McCallum]], Edinburgh
** [[John McEwan and Co]], Edinburgh
** [[Mitchell Brothers (of Glasgow)| Mitchell Brothers]], Glasgow
** [[James Munro and Son]], Edinburgh
** [[John Robertson and Son]], Edinburgh
** [[William Sanderson and Son]], Edinburgh
** [[Slater, Rodger and Co]], Glasgow
** [[J. and G. Stewart]], Edinburgh
** [[R. H. Thomson and Co (Distillers)]], Edinburgh
** [[John Walker and Sons]], London
** [[James Watson and Co]], Dundee
** [[White Horse Distillers]], Glasgow
** [[Wright and Greig]], Glasgow
* 1986 It was acquired by Guinness forming United Distillers, and is now part of Diageo.


* 1987 [[United Distillers]] formed from combining the businesses of [[Distillers Co]] and [[Arthur Bell and Sons]], both owned by [[Guinness and Co| Guinness]].


== See Also ==
== See Also ==

Revision as of 11:02, 6 May 2020

Im100218-Distillers.jpg
Advertising sign for 'King George IV' whisky.
January 1899.
1905.
October 1908.
1947.
1949. Biochemicals.
1949.
1951. LHS.
1951. RHS.
1965. Chemicals and Plastics Group. Carbon Dioxide Division.

of 21 St. James's Square, London, SW1. Telephone: Whitehall 1040. Cables: "Fermenter, London". (1947)

1877 The Distillers Company Limited was a public company formed by a combination of six Scotch whisky distilleries.

c.1885 Began a policy of diversification to spread risks of failure in any one part of the business[1].

1910 Controlled 10 distilleries in Scotland, five in Ireland and one in Liverpool[2].

1915 The yeast business was sending weekly supplies to the forces in France[3]. Industrial alcohol was in great demand for the manufacture of explosives; this was important to the company even though the price was not as good as for potable spirit; the directors were alive to the potential for using alcohol for making other products.

1922 Production of "Discol", motor fuel made from alcohol which although expensive might help to alleviate shortage of petrol[4].

1922 Acquired the gin business of Tanqueray, Gordon and Co[5].

1924 In order to find a cheaper feedstock than molasses for making Discol, the company acquired 2 "Continental" processes that were amalgamated in a new company International Sugar and Alcohol Co, in which Distillers had the controlling vote[6].

1925 Acquired the Salt End distillery at Hull (built by Herbert Green and Co in 1924)

1928 Turner and Newall and Distillers Co jointly formed the Carbon Dioxide Co Ltd to handle sales of the gas produced by some of their works[7].

1930 Arrangement with United Molasses Co for exchange of shares[8]. Formation of British Industrial Solvents Ltd to make acids and other solvents from industrial alcohol[9].

1933 Gyproc Products Ltd, controlled by Distillers Co, was formed at Rochester and subsequently at Glasgow.

1934 Distillers Co gave Cleveland Petroleum Products Co the rights to use the trademark Discol in exchange for an undertaking to buy the alcohol needed from Distillers[10].

1936 Advert: Cleveland Discol fuel[11].

1937 Acquired Booths Distilleries Ltd[12].

1937 The Distillers Co purchased a small company, British Resin Products Ltd (BRP), manufacturers of paint and other thermosetting resins in Tonbridge, Kent.

1937 United Glass Bottle Manufacturers acquired four bottle manufacturers from the Distillers Co.

1937 With Crosse and Blackwell, the Distillers Co held a controlling interest in the British Vinegar Co[13].

1937 AGM told that the company recognised that may be necessary to explore 2 or 3 new lines of business arising from chemical developments in the laboratory in order to find a successful extension to the business. Extension of Gyproc business in Scotland, and Carbonic Acid (dry ice) business at Bankhall and Hammersmith[14].

1939 Acquired majority holding in Commercial Solvents Ltd of Bromborough, Cheshire, which made industrial alcohol and solvents by fermentation[15].

1939 Distillers Co, being a supplier of raw materials for plastics and having conducted research in plastics, negotiated a 50% interest in B. X. Plastics[16].

1941 Acquired shareholding of 48% in F. A. Hughes and Co Ltd.

1944 Sold Gyproc Products Ltd to British Plaster Board Ltd in exchange for shares in that company[17].

WWII: The company was able to produce less than one year's normal output of whisky during the whole war. Fortunately it was able to draw on stocks to maintain limited sales. Production of various chemicals was a major contribution to the war effort and the largest penicillin plant was under construction at the end of the war[18].

1945 Purchased outstanding 52% of F. A. Hughes and Co Ltd involved in plastics and moulding[19].

1947 Investment by Distillers in the works of British Industrial Solvents at Salt End, Hull to increase production of solvents, plasticisers, acetic acid, etc[20]. Reorganisation and centralisation of plastics production at Barry. Purchase of the penicillin factory at Speke that the company had been operating for the government. Plans to develop large petrochemical plant at Grangemouth in conjunction with Anglo Iranian Oil, adjacent to the latter company's refinery. New plant would be built by British Geon Ltd to make PVC in association with the B. F. Goodrich Chemical Co; British Resin Products would also build new plant[21].

1947 British Industries Fair Advert as Producers of Industrial Alcohol, Solvents, Plasticisers and a wide range of chemicals including Carbon Dioxide, Methylated Spirit, Acetone, Butanol, Acetic Acid, Anhydride and their derivatives. (Chemicals etc. Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. A.1024) [22]

1950 Project at Grangemouth of British Petroleum Chemicals Ltd (a joint venture with Anglo Iranian Oil) will produce synthetic ethanol which would alleviate the supply problems with molasses. Grangemouth would also be the location for a new plant to make styrene monomer by a new company, Forth Chemicals Ltd, which was owned two-thirds by Anglo Iranian Oil and one third by Monsanto Chemicals Ltd - this was part of a plan to make derivatives from the petrochemicals made by the main plant at Grangemouth. Acquired majority interest in Magnesium Elektron Ltd[23].

1951 Acquired the remainder of the shares in Magnesium Elektron Ltd from ICI[24].

1954 Distillers Co and Fisons would jointly acquire Murgatroyds Salt and Chemical Co. Ltd[25] in order to safeguard their supplies of feedstocks important to their plastics businesses.

1954 In conjunction with the Oronite Chemical Co of California, Distillers Co formed Orobis Ltd[26] to manufacture a range of Oronite's lub. oil additives in the UK.

1955 New plant to make vinyl acetate would be built at Salt End, Hull; it would be owned by a new company Hedon Chemicals Ltd jointly owned by Distillers Co and Shawinigan Chemicals of Montreal. Sales would be handled by Shawinigan and British Industrial Solvents[27].

1956 British Petroleum Chemicals Ltd was renamed British Hydrocarbon Chemicals[28].

1958 Licenced UK rights to thalidomide.

1959 Wound up Commercial Solvents as the products of molasses fermentation were no longer competitive[29].

1961 Parent of 63 subsidiaries. 22,800 group employees. [30]

1961 Distillers Co bought the entire British Xylonite Group.

1962 Withdrew thalidomide from the market on news of adverse side effects[31]. Distillers Co and Union Carbide agreed to transfer the majority holding in Bakelite into a jointly owned company (plus an offer to acquire the remaining shares), as well as Union Carbide's low density polyethylene activities at Grangemouth and the whole of British Xylonite Co [32]. The new company would be called Bakelite Xylonite Ltd. This would include plants at Birmingham, Aycliffe and Grangemouth. Distillers sold its biochemical division to Eli Lilly of USA[33].

1963 Component parts of the Distillers Company were:

1964 New acetic acid plant would be built at Hull using a process developed by Distillers. The carbide plant at Kenfig would be closed.[35].

1965 Purchased the share in Hedon Chemicals owned by Shawinigan Chemicals. Planned to construct vinyl actetate plant at Hull in conjunction with British Celanese[36].

1966 Border Chemicals would establish a plant, based on Distillers' process for manufacturing acrylate, at Wilton; Distillers also licensed the process to Union Carbide who would build a plant 6 times as large in USA[37].

1967 Distillers Co sold its chemicals and plastics business to BP because the division did not have the scale of its major competitors in USA. This included the distillery at Salt End, Hull. Negotiation about some of the JVs took months - by mid-year BP had acquired 5 of the joint ventures: National Chemical Products (of South Africa), Murgatroyd's Salt and Chemical Co. Ltd, Orobis Ltd., Synthite and British Hydrocarbon Chemicals Ltd. Union Carbide vetoed the sale of the 50% share in Bakelite Xylonite. 9 other joint ventures were the subject of ongoing negotiation[38].

1973 Distillers Co sold its 50% stake in Bakelite Xylonite to Union Carbide[39].

A list of 41 subsidiaries of the Distillers Company as of 22 July 1980:

1986 It was acquired by Guinness.

1987 United Distillers was formed from combining the businesses of Distillers Co and Arthur Bell and Sons, both owned by Guinness.

1997 Became part of Diageo.


See Also

Loading...

Sources of Information

  1. ↑ The Times, 17 July 1915
  2. ↑ The Times 11 April 1910
  3. ↑ The Times, 17 July 1915
  4. ↑ The Times, 17 July 1922
  5. ↑ The Times, 20 September 1967
  6. ↑ The Times, 24 July 1924
  7. ↑ The Times, 15 December 1928
  8. ↑ The Times, 23 September 1930
  9. ↑ The Times, 24 July 1945
  10. ↑ The Times, 23 July 1934
  11. ↑ The Times, 26 June 1936
  12. ↑ The Times, 20 September 1967
  13. ↑ The Times, 28 May 1937
  14. ↑ The Times, 19 July 1937
  15. ↑ The Times, 24 July 1939
  16. ↑ The Times, 23 August 1939
  17. ↑ The Times, 26 July 1944
  18. ↑ The Times, 24 July 1945
  19. ↑ The Times, 24 July 1945
  20. ↑ The Times, 12 April 1947
  21. ↑ The Times, 17 October 1947
  22. ↑ 1947 British Industries Fair Advert 263; and p84
  23. ↑ The Times, 16 September 1950
  24. ↑ The Times, 17 September 1951
  25. ↑ The Times, 28 September 1954
  26. ↑ The Times, 19 August 1954
  27. ↑ The Times, 29 April 1955
  28. ↑ The Times, 23 August 1956
  29. ↑ The Times 20 August 1959
  30. ↑ 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises
  31. ↑ The Times, 23 August 1962
  32. ↑ The Times, 5 October 1962
  33. ↑ The Times, 19 October 1962
  34. ↑ The Times, 21 August 1963
  35. ↑ The Times, 21 August 1964
  36. ↑ The Times, 20 August 1965
  37. ↑ The Times, 3 March 1966
  38. ↑ The Times, 3 June 1967
  39. ↑ The Times, 25 May 1973
  • [1] Wikipedia
  • [2] National Archives: British Xylonite
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