Novar plc

Novar plc (formerly Caradon plc) was a UK-based international building supplies group. It originated in 1921 as the Metal Box Company, formed through the amalgamation of several businesses involved in canning and printing. By the 1970s, Metal Box had become a market leader in these sectors.

During the 1980s, the company diversified into the building supplies industry, eventually operating around 30 companies that provided products to the construction and DIY sectors. In the early 1990s, the company was rebranded as Caradon plc, reflecting its growing focus on building products.

In 2000, Caradon sold off its plumbing and bathroom brands, including the Caradon name, and continued its operations under the name Novar plc. The rebranding reflected a strategic shift toward technology and controls, particularly through its subsidiary Novar Controls.

In 2005, Novar plc was acquired by Honeywell, a U.S.-based multinational conglomerate. Following the acquisition, Novar’s UK operations were largely dismantled or integrated into Honeywell’s business divisions, effectively rendering Novar plc defunct.

Roots in the printing and canning industries

The canned food industry—known as "tinning" in the UK—has been used to preserve food since the 19th century. Prior to the widespread adoption of tinning, food was commonly preserved by salting, drying, or consumed fresh. The early can manufacturing industry consisted largely of small, family-owned businesses, which operated with limited competition due to the vast and expanding market.

Founding of Metal Box & Printing Industries

During the First World War, the tinning industry experienced increased demand due to the production of ration tins for British troops. With wartime restrictions imposed by the UK government on the supply of tin, many companies that formed the federation collaborated closely. Following the war, four of these firms—Hudson Scott, F. Atkins & Co., Henry Grant & Co., and Barclay & Fry—joined forces to create Allied Tin Box Makers Limited.[2] Although they operated under a single company to control the market and facilitate acquisitions, each constituent company retained its private ownership and continued to manage its own affairs. In 1922, after establishing a strong position in the UK market, the company was renamed Metal Box & Printing Industries.[1]

This market control was soon challenged by the introduction of the American semi-automatic can-making system, which significantly increased production speed compared to the traditional British methods. The business interests of G. E. Williamson's family, who had declined to join Allied Tin Box, acquired this new machinery and secured a government contract. This advancement attracted considerable attention from American canning companies interested in entering the British tin manufacturing market.[1]

The first American firm to attempt establishing a presence in the UK was the American Can Company. It purchased a small local company, which it renamed the British Can Company, and soon attempted to acquire Metal Box. In response, Metal Box arranged a strategic partnership to maintain its independence while fostering growth.[1]

Subsequently, Metal Box negotiated a deal with American Can’s US-based rival, the Continental Can Company. This agreement involved an exchange of stock shares and granted Metal Box exclusive rights in Great Britain to purchase machinery, receive technical support, training, and access patents from Continental Can. This effectively eliminated domestic competition, as no other UK company could match Metal Box's capabilities.[1]

Less than a year after this agreement, the British Can Company encountered severe difficulties. Metal Box ultimately agreed to acquire British Can from its parent company, on the condition that British Can accepted a non-compete clause preventing it from operating in Britain and Ireland for the following 21 years.[1]

Return to packaging production

Around 1943, as the tide of the Second World War began to turn in favour of the Allied powers, Metal Box shifted its focus toward postwar opportunities. The company began exploring alternative packaging materials, including paper, foil, and plastics, in anticipation of a booming postwar economy. However, in the late 1940s, Metal Box faced a significant setback when the United States Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against its American partner, Continental Can Company, and began scrutinising the nature of their partnership.[1]

As a result, the companies were compelled to revise their agreement in 1950. Under the new terms, their collaboration was restricted to the exchange of technological know-how, with all mutual ventures and market control arrangements dissolved. This modified agreement was later renewed and expanded in 1970, with plans for it to remain in effect until 1990.[1]

By the 1960s, Metal Box had established itself as the leading supplier of packaging to some of the world’s largest corporations. Clients included Unilever, Heinz, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Imperial Tobacco, British American Tobacco (BAT), Nestlé, and Shell. In 1970, the company expanded its UK product lines to include aerosols, plastic film, engineering components, and central heating equipment through the acquisition of Wallis Tin Stamping, Brown Flexible Packaging, and Bibby & Gregory. Simultaneously, Metal Box expanded internationally by establishing operations or subsidiaries in countries such as Italy, Malaysia, Japan, and Iran, while modernising existing facilities in India, South Africa, and France. Despite this global presence, the majority of its business remained centred in the UK.[1]

During the 1970s, Metal Box’s packaging subsidiaries began to face intensified competition both domestically and internationally. The situation was exacerbated in 1978 when the company terminated its long-standing licensing agreement with Continental Can. The latter responded by re-entering the UK market, constructing a two-piece aluminium can manufacturing plant in Wales. Two-piece cans represented the latest innovation in packaging technology at the time. Confronted with mounting domestic challenges, Metal Box increasingly looked overseas for growth opportunities.[1]

In 1979, Metal Box opened its own two-piece can manufacturing facility in Carson, California, which went on to supply Pepsi-Cola. Around the same time, the company entered a licensing agreement with the French packaging firm Carnaud, providing equipment and expertise to establish a two-piece can production plant in Belgium.[1]

fate	Acquired by Honeywell
foundation	1921
defunct	1 April 2005
location	Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK
successor	Novar Controls

Roots in the printing and canning industries

Founding of Metal Box & Printing Industries

The Great Depression era and further growth

Return to packaging production

The 1980s, recession and re-imagining

1990s and decline

Sale, closure, and aftermath

Further reading

References