Industrial conglomerate, specialising in low technology industries.
1970 Ashe Laboratories acquired the chemical division of Eugene Ltd[1]. The remainder of the company, making hairdressing equipment, was renamed Suter Electrical which remained as a public company.
1978 David Abell, MD of BL Commercial Vehicles division took 30 percent stake in the company[2]
1981 Suter Electrical was negotiating with Leyland Vehicles for the purchase of Prestcold which BL had been trying to sell for 2 years[3]. Abell resigned from BL to devote his time to his interests in Suter. The purchase was completed after Suter raised money through a rights issue. Business reorganised into 4 autonomous unit[4].
1984 Suter sold Prestcold's SHUD division and 2 distribution subsidiaries to Copeland Corp of USA, which had acquired an option to buy 10% of Suter Electrical; Suter gained distribution rights to Copeland equipment[5].
1984 After a year's campaign Suter took over Francis Industries[6]
1987 Acquired Mitchell Cotts, following a period of poor performance. Suter then sold the subsidiary Howard and Humphreys to Brown and Root[7]
1993 Acquired James Wilkes. Suter set out to drive down costs even further in its subsidiary Easterbrook, Allcard and Co, seeking a leaner operation and installing central controls, investing some £2 million in 1994 on more CNC equipment.
1995 Suter plc was acquired by Ascot Holdings.