Murgatroyds Salt and Chemical Co.
Murgatroyd's Salt and Chemical Co, of Elworth and Sandbach
1890s Murgatroyds started in the salt business
1893 Murgatroyd and Co built an ammonia-soda plant in Middlewich
1895 Brunner, Mond and Co acquired the ammonia-soda plant in Middlewich.
1897 rebuilt and reopened
1947 Expansion of the open pan salt-making business by addition of vacuum salt, caustic soda, chlorine and derivative products[1].
1950 The Murgatroyd Salt and Chemical works at Sandbach began operations, primarily to supply the Staveley Iron and Chemical Co with caustic soda.
Mid 1950s: a number of 4-wheeled and small bogie tankers were built for Murgatroyds to carry liquid chlorine.
1954 Increase in capacity planned, to double the output of chlorine and caustic soda at Elworth[2].
Private company.
1954 Distillers Co and Fisons jointly acquired Murgatroyds[3] in order to safeguard their supplies of feedstocks important to their plastics businesses. Previously the Finance Corporation for Industry had owned 60%.
1965 Jointly owned by Distillers Co and Fisons[4].
1967 One of the joint ventures acquired by BP together with most of Distillers Co's chemical interests[5].
Note: Brine pumps from Murgatroyds' Elworth works, made by John Thom, have been restored by Middlewich Heritage Trust. More information, including films of Murgatroyds' works here[6]
See Also
Sources of Information
- Lineside Industries [2]