of Battersea Works, Church Road, Battersea
The Morgan Crucible Co is one of the largest UK manufacturers of carbon and ceramic products for industrial use.
The 6 Morgan Brothers started their first business, bankers and merchants. One of the brothers, who had gone into banking, left that occupation to join his brothers in the new enterprise[1]. Some time later they started the Patent Plumbago Syndicate, as importers, exporters and merchants. Ceramic crucibles was one of the items they imported.
1851 After seeing American-made crucibles at the Great Exhibition, the Morgan Brothers became sole agents for crucibles from Joseph Dixon and Co, a New Jersey manufacturer of crucibles.
1856 The 6 brothers obtained the manufacturing rights from the American company and a factory was opened in Battersea. The company was founded as the Patent Plumbago Syndicate to make graphite crucibles.
1859 Established the Chemist and Druggist and the Ironmonger journals, originally to promote their own wares[2].
1870 The firm disposed of the mercantile side of the business
1881 The current name of the company, the Morgan Crucible Company, was adopted.
1890 Took limited company status. Crucible manufacturers, potters, and manufacturers of Plumbago. [3] The company was registered on 3 March, to acquire the business of manufacturers of crucibles carried on by the Morgan Brothers. [4]
1904 The company diversified into carbon brushes.
WWI Company acquired the crucible business of Doulton and Co
1922 The youngest and last surviving brother, Edward Vaughan Morgan, died. Members of the following generation continued the Morgan involvement in the business.
1928 Alliance with Universal Grinding Wheel Co to share technical expertise and work together; Morgan would subscribe for new shares in that company[5].
1929 The Russian authorities closed the Leningrad factory and arrested its director after many years in which he defended this private company against the pressure exerted by the regime[6]
1948 Formed a subsidary Company - Morganite Resistors Limited.
1960 The reorganisation of the group had been underway for 12 years and was completed with the creation of 4 new subsidiaries, bringing the total to 11 home subsidiaries and 12 external ones[7]
1961 Morgan Crucible ceased to be a trading company; new UK trading subsidiaries were created:
1961 Parent of 19 subsidiaries employing 8,000 people. [8]
1961 Manufacturers of carbon brushes, carbon products, crucibles, furnaces, foundry plumbago, refractories; electrical and engineering products, radio and heavy duty resistors; bronze oil retaining bearings and sintered metal products. 8,000 employees. [9]
1962 Other UK companies were (see advert):
- Morgan Components
- Morganite Export
- Morgan Refractories
- Morgan-Mintex
- Graphite Products
- Ship Carbon Company of Great Britain.
1964 The company became one of the first businesses in the UK to computerise its financial records.
1968 Acquired George Rowney and Co
1970s The Battersea factory, which had become too small, closed.
1976 The company relocated its manufacturing operations from Battersea to Morriston in Wales and Norton in Worcestershire.
1977 Closed the carbon fibre venture at Battersea because of the lack of domestic demand.
1986 Morgan Crucible Co took over the First Castle Group.
2005 The company's magnetics division was disposed of. [10]
2013 Morgan Crucible Co plc changed its name to Morgan Advanced Materials plc on 27 March 2013.
2018 Morgan Advanced Materials plc is a global engineering company, listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250. They manufacture in 30 countries and employ approximately 8,800 employees. They continue to manufacture products from carbon and ceramic (including crucibles).[11]