Harold F. Ward

Harold F. Ward Ltd of 238-252 Highgate Road Birmingham, Radio and Electrical Contractor.

'In the winter of 1923 young electrical engineer Mr Harold F. Ward laid the foundations for what was to become Deritend Birmingham. He started a small electrical installation and contracting business in the Birmingham suburb of Shirley. The business grew steadily and continued to flourish during the war years. By 1946 it was in strong position to expand. In the early 1950s a rewind facility was set up on the site of Deritend Birmingham's current premises in Highgate Road, Birmingham. This was just in time to take advantage of the switchof the electricity supply from two phase to three phase throughout the Black Country, a situation the company exploited to the full. Harold Ward continued to run the business until the mid-1970s when retirement beckoned. H. F. Ward was sold to the Deritend Stampings Group from which it gained its present name. Deritend already owned another local company E. J. Wilcox which carried out similar work as well as a number of companies throughout the country working in the same sectors. From this the Deritend repair group was formed. New ownership in 1989 saw the opportunity and synergy between the factory based services provided by Deritend and the electrical contracting business provided by their Lee Beesley subsidiary so Lee Beesley Deritend was formed. Lee Beesley Deritend operates from 20 business units throughout the UK. Employing in excess of 700 people and with turnover of some £35 million the group continues to expand develop its core business activities...'

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