Parkfield Group

Parkfield Group, a conglomerate specialising in heavy engineering and entertainment.

1983 Established by Roger Felder.

Based on loss-making Parkfield Foundries which Felder turned round.

Acquired Foster Electrical Supplies from Thorn EMI

1985 Acquired Fisher (Cleveleys), precision tool manufacturer, from UEI.

1985 Fastest growing share on the Unlisted Securities Market in London

1986 Acquired Rockwell Thompson Ltd, which had been the John Thompson Pressings Division that had been purchased by Rockwell Standard of America in 1972 (except for the axle bay which Rockwell retained).

1988 Acquired Horwich Works from BREL.

1988 Roger Felder announced that Parkfield Foundries was now part of a group of companies which would be known as the Parkfield Group, with an annual turnover of £35M and which employed nearly 1,000 people.

The Parkfield Group established two divisions – Manufacturing and Entertainment.

1988 Thompson management were mostly replaced and the division revived.

1990 Parkfield Group tried, but failed, to sell the Thompson Pressings and Fabrications section. The Parkfield Group collapsed in July, due to the failure of their Entertainments Division caused by over-investment in video films. The Pressings and Fabrications sector was sold to a management buyout. This became UPF on 31st August. This was basically the chassis making concern and seems to have been very successful.

1990s Administrators took over.

1992 C V Buchan, a member of the AMEC group, bought the foundry. Parkfield Group was being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• History of John Thompson: [1]