Yale and Towne Co
of 9 to 15 Murray Street, New York
Makers of Yale Locks of 17 to 20 West Smithfield, London, EC.
- locks and hardware division, of Willenhall (1960s)
- materials handling division, of Wednesfield, Staffs (1960s).
1904 Company established in January by the parent company, Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co., who had been established in October 1868 at Stamford, Connecticut, USA by Linus Yale (junior) and Henry R. Towne.
1914 Manufacturers of Yale Locks and Yale products etc. Specialities: Yale locks, architectural and builders' hardware, Yale blount door checks and springs, pulley blocks and electric hoists etc. Employees 3,500. [1]
1929 Yale and Towne Co started operating in the Midlands
c.1936 Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co established the materials handling division in Waddens Brook Lane, Wednesfield - see Yale Tractor Shovels
1963 The parent was acquired by Eaton Manufacturing Co.
1965 Developed electric fork-lift truck for the British market[2].
1965 Plans announced to open factory at Livingston [3]
1966 Yale and Towne and Eaton Manufacturing merged into one corporation to form Eaton Yale and Towne Incorporated.
1968 Yale Locks and Hardware, a division of the US Eaton, Yale and Towne, announced 5-year investment plans in Britain[4].
c.1985 Acquired by First City Diversified[5]
1987 The locks and security business, Yale, was acquired by Valor Co[6]; the resultant company was named Yale and Valor.
1988 Yale and Valor acquired Ingersoll locks of Woking[7]
1991 Williams Holdings acquired Yale and Valor[8]
2000 when Williams was broken up, Yale was sold to Assa Abloy of Sweden[9].