East Coast Steel Corporation
1916 The government invited proposals for increasing steel making capacity, especially for ship building. The company was formed under the chairmanship of Viscount Furness (Marmaduke Furness, b.1883) to strengthen the position of various steel companies associated with the Furness empire. The company made a proposal to the government for a new steel works which was judged to be too expensive. Nor were they allowed to increase pig iron capacity for their associated works because of the time it would take[1]
Mr. Benjamin Talbot was Managing Director.
1920 Unable to build works of its own the company changed course, intending to be the nucleus of a large merger, incorporating other iron and steel enterprises.
Acquired the Middlesbrough property of Cochrane and Co, the owner of the Ormesby Iron Works, as well as the Seaton Carew Iron Co, with three large blast furnaces from which molten metal had previously gone to Cargo Fleet.
1924 Acquired by the South Durham Steel and Iron Co to protect its supplies and land for expansion[2]