Chloride Electrical Storage Co
Chloride Electrical Storage Syndicate
of Manchester and London.
of Exide Works, Clifton Junction, near Manchester. Telephone: Swinton 2011. Telegraphic Address: "Chloride, Pendlebury". (1937)
1891 The company was registered on 12 December as the Chloride Electrical Storage Syndicate. [1] to exploit patents of the Electrical Storage Battery Co of New Jersey, the United Gas Improvement Co of Pennsylvania outside USA and Canada. Further agreement in 1892 focussing mainly on storage batteries.
1894 The Patent Chloride Electric Accumulator. [2]
1895 Agreement with Electrical Storage Battery Co on exchange of technical information.
1902 The name was changed to its current title. Main business in supplying batteries for stationary applications and submarines
1905/6 First ignition batteries and traction batteries but this remained a small part of the business up to WW1.
1909 Started developing relations with other battery companies.
1920 October. Exhibited at the Commercial Motor Exhibition at Olympia with Ironclad Exide batteries for road vehicles. [3]
1922 Acquired controlling interest in Pritchetts and Gold[4].
1923 Visit of the Institution of Electrical Engineers: 1923 Review -At the works of the Chloride Electrical Storage Company, the visitors were able to see the manufacture of electrical storage batteries for practically every type of service. The company employs about 1000 hands, the majority being men. The raw materials - lead, litharge, timber, glass, etc. - are received by rail, canal and road, and, similarly, the finished goods are dispatched by any one of the three routes, as mat be most convenient. In the moulding department grids of pure lead, or lead alloy, are cast, either by hand or under pressure, in special moulds of intricate design. These moulds are all manufactured by the company in its own shops. "Exide" plates, both positive and negative, and also box type negative plates, for chloride and plantide batteries, are a;l pasted by hand..." Read More
1927 Acquired Lorival Ltd, makers of containers for accumulators.
1929 Acquired National Accumulator Co which had been formed in 1928 to hold all the shares in D. P. Battery Co and a major interest in Hart Accumulator Co; the company was owned by J. Stone and Co and other competitors; the purchase also provided controlling interests in Premier Accumulator Co and Fuller Accumulator Co (1926). The purchase of National also brought the acquisition of M. C. L. and Repetition[5]. Agreement with J. Stone and Co relating to batteries for train lighting which prohibited Stones from making lead-acid and alkaline batteries and assigned to Chloride an agreement with S.A.F.T. regarding alkaline batteries; Chloride was to supply these to Stones.
1932 Acquired Alton Battery Co Ltd.
1933 With Joseph Lucas Ltd and Oldham and Son, set up the British Starter Battery Association.
1934 Acquired United Ebonite Manufacturers Ltd, makers of containers for accumulators.
1934 Acquired the dry batteries business of Britannia Batteries Ltd.
1935 Acquired Alklum Storage Batteries Ltd
1936 Completed the acquisition of the alkaline batteries and other interests of Britannia Batteries Ltd.
1937 Manufacturers of "Exide" aircraft batteries. "Drydex" Torches and Batteries. "Exide" Aircraft Batteries. "Keepalite" Emergency Lighting Equipment. [6]
1937 Agreement between Chloride Electrical Storage Co and Ever Ready Co (Great Britain) Ltd whereby Chloride agreed not to manufacture primary batteries but source its needs from Ever Ready whilst Ever Ready agreed not to manufacture secondary batteries but source its needs from Chloride.
1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. A selection of Storage Batteries for various electrical purposes, including Stationary Installations, Traction Train Lighting, Car Starting, Radio, etc. Together with Emergency Lighting and Switch Tripping Equipments. (Stand No. Cb.407) [7]
1937 Summit Battery Co Ltd formed by Chloride Electrical Storage Co as a subsidiary to manufacture radio batteries.
1938 Acquired Rothermel Corporation Ltd, which had a subsidiary that made parts for road vehicles.
1939 Acquired Midland Vehicles Ltd, makers of electric vehicles.
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
1942 Disposed of Midland Vehicles Ltd.
1943 Disposed of Rothermel Corporation and M. C. L. and Repetition.
1949 Name of Summit Battery Co Ltd changed to Chloride Batteries Ltd. Took over the manufacture and sale of electric storage batteries from the parent company.
1950 Chloride Electrical Storage Co became a holding company for the group.
1968 Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement. [8]
1971 Chloride Electrical Storage Co and Oldhams agreed to merge to create a company of size sufficient to be competitive in the wider European market[9] but Chloride was eventually outbid by Carlton Industries
1981 Chloride and Lucas form a joint venture reinforced with substantial government funds. The company was called Lucas Chloride EV Systems.[10]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ The Engineer of 27th April 1894 p360
- ↑ The Engineer of 22nd October 1920 p400
- ↑ Competition Commission report [1]
- ↑ Competition Commission report: [2]
- ↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ 1937 British Industries Fair Page 348
- ↑ The Engineer of 26th April 1968 p650
- ↑ The Times, Dec 16, 1971
- ↑ The Engineer 1981/02/26
- Competition Commission report: [3]