of Byfleet
1932 Company founded.
1936 Public company.
1957 Name changed.
1961 Aeronautical engineers and sheet metal fabricators. Manufacturers of "Midas" electronics data recording and playback systems. Engaged on developments in nucleonic field. Manufacturers of close circuit television equipment and emulsifying machines. 200 employees.
1962 Recently taken-over Burndept had potential; acquisition recently completed of Vidor[1].
1963 AGM told about reorganization of Vidor battery company which was already bearing fruit[2].
1965 The musical instruments subsidiary had had a good year; Burndept Electronics, maker of marine beacons, had been returned to profit as had Royston Instruments; the battery business had started making battery manufacturing plant. Acquired Nickols Automatics, maker of controls for machine tools[3].
1966 Field Aircraft Services and Royston Instruments of Byfleet established a service for reading Midas flight data recorders at Heathrow[4]
1966 Vidor Ltd/Burndept Ltd had received an important contract from STC; this would further establish the VIDOR name internationally[5].
1967 Receiver appointed after losses and unsuccessful rights issue[6].
1968 EMI acquired Nickols Automation, probably the most attractive part of the group[7] and then purchased the Precision Electronic Terminations subsidiary[8]. The Vidor and Burndept battery subsidiaries were sold to Crompton Parkinson[9]. The Midas flight recorder business was split so that some was not sold to America[10].
Company liquidated.