Minerals Separation
of King William Street, London, developer of metallurgical processes and acquirer of mineral rights.
1903 Public company.
1909 Had established and was operating a tailings plant at Broken Hill mine, jointly with Sulphide Corporation. Successfully defended against legal action brought by British Ore Concentration Syndicate[1].
1910 Instituted legal proceedings against Zinc Corporation for infringement of patents[2].
1912 Formed joint company in Australia with Amalgamated Zinc (De Bavay's) Ltd to own the Australian and New Zealand patents of both companies together with Potter's Sulphide Ore Treatment Ltd[3].
1919 Increase in capital reflecting the extra prospects for business in many places around the world, not only for application of the flotation process for separation but also for investment in mineral reserves; continued research and development work which led to new patents[4]
1920 Great potential for coal washing process so the company had acquired rights from various companies to treat their waste tips including Powell Duffryn, Midland Coal Products Ltd, Ashington Coal Co, Skinningrove Iron Co; also developed rust proofing agent Sozol[5].
1921 Several plants using the company's fine-coal recovery process were under construction[6].
1923 Coal-cleaning and briquetting processes were attracting substantial interest; new copper ore reduction process would be tried in 2 small plants[7].
1926 Employed aerial survey of Rhodesia in prospecting for minerals[8].
1929 Rio Tinto Co was the largest shareholder in the company and placed 2 directors on the board[9].
1945 Acquired the fluxes manufacturing business of Foundry Services Group of Birmingham[10]
1947 The Industrial Finance and Investment Corporation acquired a controlling interest in the company. The company acquired 90% of shares in Howard Pottery Co[11].
1950 Acquired Gibson and Sons[12].
1951 The Birmingham subsidiary, Foundry Services Ltd, had considerably expanded its range of products for foundries under the brand Foseco; representation for these products was being strengthened in other countries. Other potteries in the group were Kirkhams and Gibsons[13].
1953 Acquired half of the shares in the parent of Foundry Services Ltd and acquired J. W. Jackman and Co which would be largely complementary to FSL[14].
1958 As part of the policy of purchasing control of well managed companies, acquired control of Vosper Ltd and Leigh Knight (Bradford) Ltd[15]
1961 Transferred all the Birmingham manufacturing operations to the Foseco group, of which Minerals Separation owned 80%[16].
1961 Formed into three groups, Foundry Services Group: Manufacturing chemical compounds for metallurgical industries; Howard Pottery Group: manufacturing pottery ware; Modern Engineering Group: constructional engineers specialising in industrial steel and concrete buildings.
1963 Subsidiaries included Foseco, Vosper and Co, J. W. Jackman and Co, Howard Pottery Co and various investment trust holdings[17].
1964 Minerals Separation was an industrial holding company; it sold its controlling interest in Vosper Ltd of Portsmouth to David Brown[18].
1964 Minerals Separation sought a separate quotation for Foseco of which it owned 77%[19]. In the event, 45% was floated[20].
1965 Minerals Separation acquired Robert McArd and Co, maker of plastic toilet seats, Industrial Gifts and Frederick Eisner, and others[21].
1969 The Foseco group had grown so much since it was floated that it made to sense to take over Minerals Separation since the 2 companies shared similar aims and had the same chairman; the new company was called Foseco Minsep[22].
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, 19 November 1909
- ↑ The Times, 30 December 1910
- ↑ The Times, 13 April 1912
- ↑ The Times, 11 November 1919
- ↑ The Times, 25 November 1920
- ↑ The Times, 23 December 1921
- ↑ The Times, 29 August 1923
- ↑ The Times, 16 August 1926
- ↑ The Times, 25 April 1929
- ↑ The Times, 11 May 1945
- ↑ The Times, 16 August 1947
- ↑ The Times, 30 May 1951
- ↑ The Times, Wednesday, May 30, 1951
- ↑ The Times, 13 May 1953
- ↑ The Times, 9 June 1959
- ↑ The Times, 21 June 1961
- ↑ The Times, 5 June 1963
- ↑ The Times, 22 May 1964
- ↑ The Times, 8 July 1964
- ↑ The Times, 17 January 1969
- ↑ The Times, Jun 15, 1965
- ↑ The Times, 17 January 1969