McKechnie Brothers
Metal merchants and producers of copper sulphate, titanium sponge and other materials, of Rotton Park Street, Birmingham; of Widnes.
1871 Business founded by Duncan McKechnie in St Helens for copper extraction[1]
1891 Two of Duncan's sons, Daniel and Alexander McKechnie formed a partnership in copper and silver refining in Widnes.
1897 Established a brass ashes washing plant at Rotton Part Street, Birmingham.
1898 Duncan McKechnie, a third son of Duncan Senior, joined the partnership
1909 The brass ash plant was moved to Trafford Park, Manchester and replaced with foundry equipment moved from Blaydon-on-Tyne.
1914 Daniel McKechnie died
1915 Incorporated as a limited company to acquire the business of Alexander and Duncan McKechnie
1937 Extruded brass and bronze rods, section and stamping manufacturers. "Tank" Pressings and Stampings. "Velveto" Antifriction Metal Ingots. [2]
1953 Company converted into public company, manufacturers of non-ferrous metals and heavy chemicals
1956 Public offer of shares[3] but the family continued to hold 70 percent of the shares. Worcester Brass Co maker of brass hinges, was a subsidiary.
1957 Acquired Aluminium Die Castings (Birmingham) Ltd[4]
1959 Transferred the brass extrusion plant to the new factory built in Aldridge.
1960 The new subsidiary Aluminium Die Castings (Birmingham) Ltd had not yet made a profit but was expected to do so soon. The Stratford plant making solder was profitable as was Worcester Brass Co[5]
By 1970 Subsidiaries included McKechnie Metals and Harrison (Birmingham), makers of Drape curtain rails; the company sold its interest in Mackamax Aluminium to American Metal Climax[6]
1986 Failed in a bid to take-over Newman-Tonks[7]. Acquired PSM, fasteners[8]
1987 Name changed to McKechnie; acquired Trent Valley Plastics[9]
1994 Acquired Linread in an agreed take-over[10]
2005 Melrose acquired McKechnie Group[11]
2007 Part of the Group, McKechnie Aerospace, was sold by Melrose[12]
See Also
Sources of Information
- Birmingham’s Industrial Heritage by Ray Shill. Published by Sutton Publishing 2002. ISBN 0-7509-2593-0
- ↑ The Times, Feb 06, 1956
- ↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ The Times, Feb 02, 1956
- ↑ The Times December 20, 1957
- ↑ The Times, December 16, 1960
- ↑ The Times, Jul 15, 1970
- ↑ The Times, March 12, 1986
- ↑ The Times, August 19, 1986
- ↑ The Times, April 16, 1987
- ↑ The Times, May 12, 1994
- ↑ The Times, April 22, 2005
- ↑ The Times, March 24, 2007