Steetley
c.1880 A company was formed to work dolomite deposits at Steetley in Nottinghamshire for the manufacture of furnace lining materials for steel production.
Improvements in kiln designs for burning dolomite soon followed and a close relationship with steel-making customers grew up. Increasing demand led to the acquisition in 1904 of another quarry at Coxhoe in Co. Durham and to the installation of the first vertical shaft kiln there in 1906.
WWI Demand was further accelerated by the war.
1921 Acquired the Taffs Well quarry in South Wales
By 1930 there were four operating companies which were then amalgamated to form the Steetley Lime and Basic Company Limited
1937 Set up a subsidiary company to operate a seawater magnesia plant at Hartlepool
1940 another magnesia plant was built for the Government at Harrington in Cumberland.
1944 Renamed The Steetley Company Limited
Steetley emerged from the war as a leading producer of dolomite and magnesia, and of refractories made using these two materials.
Dolomite that was unsuitable for use in making refractories was sold as road stone and fill; this gave Steetley an interest in construction materials, which it extended in 1964 by the acquisition of Alan S. Denniff Ltd, whose principal business was ready-mixed concrete, and James Turner and Son Ltd, producer of aggregates, mainly sand and gravel.
1969 Steetley took over Dowlow Lime and Stone Co Ltd and moved into the market for limestone for purposes unrelated to the containment of heat. Concurrently it diversified into the distribution of industrial and electrical supplies in Canada.
1970 The success of its seawater magnesia plant led Steetley to seek non-refractory uses for magnesia, acquiring Berk Limited in 1970 and developing that company's mineral and chemical interests in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain and South Africa. Steetley also continued to increase the proportion of its interests overseas.
1977 Restructured the home organisation into three wholly-owned subsidiary companies:
- Steetley Minerals Ltd
- Steetley Refractories Ltd
- Steetley Chemicals Ltd.
1979 Steetley Construction Materials Ltd was established to take over that part of the business from Steetley Minerals Ltd.
1979 Acquired Gibbons Dudley Ltd leading to the establishment of Steetley Brick Ltd, Steetley Engineering Ltd and Steetley Properties (Holdings) Ltd.
1981 Acquired G. H. Downing Co Ltd and increased its production capacity in facing bricks which also took the company into making clay roof tiles.
1982 Renamed as Steetley PLC.
1983 Bid for the company by Hepworth Ceramic Holdings
1984 The Monopolies Commission blocked the take-over by Hepworth[1]
1985 Steetley PLC had a number of subsidiaries in Britain and abroad; the UK subsidiaries were:[2]
- Steetley Construction Materials Ltd
- Steetley Brick and Tile Ltd
- Steetley Minerals Ltd
- Steetley Refractories Ltd
- Steetley Chemicals Ltd
- Steetley Engineering Ltd
- Steetley Properties (Holdings) Ltd
- Steetley Transport Ltd
as well as an associated company: Abbey Chemicals Ltd
1992 Acquired by Redland plc; as a result of the undertakings made at that time, the roofing clay tile business was sold to Eternit of Belgium and Steetley Refractories to American group, J. E. Baker.[3]
See Also
Sources of Information
- Monopolies and Merger Commission report [1]