Thorn Electrical Industries

Thorn Electrical Industries Limited was a British electrical engineering company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange, but merged with EMI Group to form Thorn EMI in 1979. It was de-merged in 1996 and became a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, but was acquired by the Japanese Nomura Group only two years later. It is now owned by Terra Firma Capital Partners.

History

Sir Jules Thorn had worked in England as a travelling salesman for company Olso, an Austrian manufacturer of gas mantles. When Olso went bankrupt in 1926, Thorn decided to stay in England and set up Electric Lamp Service Company as dealers in electrical and radio goods, including importing Hungarian lamps.[1] On 29 March 1928 The Electric Lamp Service Company Ltd was incorporated, taking over the undertakings, property and assets of the Electric Lamp Service Company.

Alfred Deutsch, an Austrian engineer, visited Thorn in 1928 and was persuaded to stay to help organize the company's production process.[2]

Atlas Lamp Works

Prior to 1933, the company purchased and sold electric lamps and radio goods.[3] Thorn acquired the Atlas Lamp Works company in 1932 and began making light bulbs in Edmonton, north London by the end of 1933. The company grew rapidly to become one of the world's largest producers of lamps, luminaires and lighting components.

In October 1933, Jules Thorn formed Lotus Radio (1933) Limited with Mr L. M. Glancy, a director of Chorlton Metal Co. Limited, acquiring certain assets of the original Lotus Company and to manufacture radio receivers.

Going public

The company changed its name to Thorn Electrical Industries Limited on 26 November 1936 and became a public limited company on 28 November 1936. Earlier in the year, Chorlton Metal Co. Limited and Lotus Radio (1933) Limited had become wholly owned subsidiaries. and the group had acquired the freehold property known as Atlas Works, which they previously leased.[4]

Jules Thorn became chairman of Ferguson Radio Corporation in 1936 and Thorn began distributing their entire domestic radio production. In 1946, Thorn acquired Ferguson.[5][6] In 1947 Thorn formed an agreement with Sylvania Electric Products to co-operate on the development and manufacture of fluorescent lamps.[1]

By 1948, the company had 2,400 employees and had factories in Enfield (Ferguson's), Edmonton, Hirwaun and Tottenham and was building one in Merthyr Tydfil. The group was manufacturing Atlas lamps, fluorescent lighting fittings and equipments; Ferguson radio and television receivers; and Mary Ann domestic appliances. At that date, its trading subsidiaries were Ferguson Radio Corporation; Lamp Presscaps (manufacturer of lamp caps); Domestic Electrical Rentals (letting of radio and domestic appliances); and British Electric Domestic Appliances (sale and servicing of radio and domestic appliances) as well as a subsidiary in South Africa.[7] The company bought Tricity Cookers in 1951.

Further expansion

In 1957, Thorn entered an agreement with Bendix Aviation Corporation in the United States to make electrical components for guided missiles and supersonic aircraft in the UK on behalf of Bendix.[8] The same year, they made arrangements with EMI to produce "His Master's Voice" (HMV) and Marconiphone radio and television receivers. They also brought all the lighting activities under Atlas Lighting Limited.[9] In April 1959, they acquired Philco's UK business.[10]

Radio Rentals acquisition

In 1968, Thorn acquired Radio Rentals for £180 million to add to its Domestic Electrical Rentals (DER) business, to become the largest television rental group in Great Britain with 2.6 million subscribers and 1,300 stores.[17][18][19] The same year it also acquired Kenwood Manufacturing, a domestic appliance manufacturer.[15]

American company General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) built up a large interest in Thorn, with the potential of a merger rumoured. In the 1960s, GTE shared their technical knowledge of colour television tubes from their now subsidiary, Sylvania Electric Products, with Thorn.[20]

type	Public
fate	Merged with EMI Group
successor	Thorn EMI
foundation	29 March 1928 (as The Electrical Lamp Service Company Ltd)
defunct	1998
location	London, UK
industry	Electrical engineering
key people	Founders – Sir Jules Thorn and Alfred Deutsch
products	light bulbs · radios · televisions · lamps, luminaires and lighting components (through Thorn Lighting)
parent	Terra Firma Capital Partners

Thorn Electrical Industries

History

Atlas Lamp Works

Going public

Further expansion

Radio Rentals acquisition

Merger with EMI

Post demerger

See also

References