Spirella Co of Great Britain

Manufacturer of foundation garments, of Letchworth

1909 The business was started in Britain by William Kincaid, an American; his partner, Marcus Beeman, had invented a corset which used the novel Spirella flexible twisted wire stay Incorporated as public company

1914 Corset Manufacturers, Letchworth, Herts. London Office: 266-270, Regent Street, Oxford Circus. Parlours at same address, also at 37, New Bond Street, W. Incorporated as a Limited Company in 1910. Directors: J. H. Moore (General Managing Director), C. W. Stanton (Managing Director). Staff: 375. Staff Club: Active Welfare Society. Speciality: Custom Corsets. Business Investment, 1913, over £30,000. Patent: Steel Boning. Awards: Many First Prizes and Medals.

WWII Turned over almost entirely to parachute manufacture

1957 Standard Industrial Group purchased the controlling interest in the Spirella Co of Great Britain from the US parent company and intended to seek a quotation on the London market

1959 Offer of shares on the London market

1962 Standard Industrial Group purchased a controlling interest in Spirella Co of Great Britain, makers of foundation garments.

1971 Acquired the Barber Textile Corporation

1973 Acquired the Stibbe-Hadden knitted fabrics subsidiary of G. Stibbe and Co and Foundation Yarn Dyers (Blackburn)

By 1975 the company was making a range of goods including household textiles, towels, fashion fabrics, as well as foundation garments

1975 Acquired Vantona in a reverse take-over; the Spirella brand became part of the Vantona Group

1989 Closure of factory at Letchworth because of fall in demand for corsets

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