Novar plc

Novar plc was the final corporate identity of a large British industrial group whose origins lay in the packaging industry and whose later activities centered on building products, heating equipment, bathrooms, windows, and building-control technology. The business began in 1921 through the consolidation of several British tin-box and printing companies into Allied Tin Box Makers, which was renamed Metal Box & Printing Industries in 1922. Metal Box became one of the United Kingdom’s leading manufacturers of cans, decorated tins, packaging materials, and related equipment. Its growth was supported by acquisitions, international expansion, and a long-running technical relationship with Continental Can Company. During the interwar period, Metal Box strengthened its position as smaller competitors failed or were absorbed. It also promoted the use of canned foods and licensed packaging technology to customers and partners. Its factories were redirected to wartime production during the Second World War, making ration containers, gas-mask containers, mine casings, and shell-related products. After the war, the company investigated paper, foil, plastics, and other alternatives to traditional tin packaging. By the 1960s, its customers included major consumer-goods, tobacco, chemical, food, and petroleum companies. In the 1970s, it expanded beyond conventional cans into aerosols, flexible packaging, engineering components, and central-heating equipment, while establishing or expanding operations in several overseas markets. Packaging competition and economic difficulties prompted a major strategic rethink in the 1980s. The company adopted the name MB Group in 1988 to distance itself from its historic association with metal packaging. Under chairman Brian Smith and chief executive Murray Stuart, it developed a substantial building-products portfolio, including radiators, boilers, bathroom products, showers, and related construction-sector offerings. Its Stelrad division became a major European radiator manufacturer, while the group also owned or controlled businesses such as Mira Showers, Twyford Bathrooms, and Clarke Checks. The packaging division was combined with the French company Carnaud in 1988, creating CMB Packaging SA, and MB Group subsequently increased its emphasis on building-related businesses. Following the purchase of Caradon, the company became MB-Caradon and later Caradon plc. In the early 1990s it fully divested its interest in the packaging business, completing the strategic transition away from its original industry. Caradon expanded into windows and doors through a stake in Weru AG, but competitive pressure led to restructuring, job reductions, management changes, and the disposal of numerous business units during the middle of the decade. The group was progressively broken up around the turn of the century. Caradon Plumbing Solutions was sold in 2000, Twyford Bathrooms was sold to Sanitec in 2001, and Mira Showers and Alstone shower cubicles were sold to Kohler in 2001. After the disposal of its principal United Kingdom building-products operations, the remaining company adopted the Novar plc name and focused more heavily on United States interests, including Novar Controls, a business involved in commercial HVAC, refrigeration, lighting controls, direct digital control, and energy-management systems. Melrose Industries made an unsuccessful hostile approach in 2004, while Honeywell’s competing offer was accepted in 2005. Honeywell subsequently integrated or dismantled much of Novar’s remaining corporate structure, bringing Novar plc’s independent existence to an end. The Novar name continued in the United States within Honeywell-related building-controls activities, later operating simply as Novar.

Novar plc’s history can be traced to the British tin-box and printing industries. In the years after the First World War, Hudson Scott, F. Atkins & Co., Henry Grant & Co., and Barclay & Fry joined forces to establish Allied Tin Box Makers. The organization was renamed Metal Box & Printing Industries in 1922. It consolidated manufacturing capacity and later used Continental Can technology, machinery, patents, and technical training to improve British production. Metal Box also acquired or absorbed smaller competitors and remained comparatively resilient during the Great Depression. The company’s early products included decorated biscuit tins, food cans, and other metal containers. It developed publicity activities to promote canned foods, while its manufacturing sites and technology-licensing relationships expanded the company’s influence beyond its own factories. During the Second World War, its facilities were redirected to military and civil-defense production, including ration containers, gas-mask containers, mine casings, and other war-related items. After the war, Metal Box explored paper, foil, and plastics as alternatives or complements to traditional tinplate. By the 1960s, Metal Box supplied packaging to large multinational customers including Unilever, Heinz, ICI, Imperial Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Nestlé, and Shell. The group broadened its portfolio in the 1970s through acquisitions involving aerosols, plastic film, engineering components, and central-heating equipment. It also developed international operations or subsidiaries in markets including Italy, Malaysia, Japan, Iran, India, South Africa, and France. The end of its long-standing Continental Can licensing relationship in 1978 intensified competition, particularly after Continental Can re-entered the British market with a two-piece aluminium-can plant. Metal Box responded with international projects, including a two-piece can facility in Carson, California, and a technology arrangement with Carnaud in Belgium. Recession, competition, and management problems led to a leadership and strategy overhaul in the early 1980s. Brian Smith became chairman and Murray Stuart chief executive. In 1988 the group adopted the MB Group name, reflecting its diversification. Its Stelrad division became a major European radiator producer, and its building portfolio grew to include bathroom products, boilers, showers, and other construction-related businesses. The company also merged its packaging division with Carnaud to form CMB Packaging SA and acquired Caradon, whose brands included Mira Showers and Twyford Bathrooms. It subsequently became MB-Caradon and, after further corporate changes, Caradon plc. In 1993, Caradon sold its interest in the packaging group, completing the exit from its founding industry. It acquired a substantial minority stake in German windows-and-doors manufacturer Weru AG in 1994. A restructuring launched in 1995 removed about 1,600 jobs and a management layer; in 1996 the group disposed of 18 business units. These measures reflected an effort to simplify a diversified group facing competitive and structural pressure. The group was dismantled further after 2000. Caradon Plumbing Solutions was sold to HSBC Private Equity in October 2000. Caradon Stelrad was created around the Stelrad Radiators and Ideal Boilers businesses, while Twyford Bathrooms was sold to Sanitec in January 2001 and Mira Showers and Alstone were sold to Kohler in July 2001. After its principal United Kingdom building-products operations had been separated, the remaining group adopted the Novar plc name and concentrated more heavily on United States businesses, including Novar Controls. Novar Controls had been established in 1964 and developed centralized controls for commercial heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration, lighting, and energy-management systems. In 2004 Melrose Industries launched a hostile takeover bid for Novar, but withdrew after Honeywell made a competing offer. Honeywell’s acquisition was accepted in 2005. The buyer subsequently integrated or dismantled the former group’s operations, ending Novar plc as an independent company. The Novar name survived in the United States in building-controls activities, later shortened to Novar.

• 2005

  Acquired by Honeywell

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  Honeywell acquired Novar after a competing takeover contest and subsequently integrated or dismantled the group.

• 2000

  Novar name adopted

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  After the disposal of major Caradon building-products operations, the remaining group rebranded as Novar plc.

• 1993

  Exit from packaging

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  Caradon sold its stake in CMB, ending the group’s direct involvement in its historic packaging business.

• 1988

  MB Group name adopted

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  The corporate identity was changed to MB Group to signal diversification away from metal packaging.

• 1970

  Expansion beyond conventional cans

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  Acquisitions expanded the portfolio into aerosols, flexible packaging, engineering components, and central-heating equipment.

• 1922

  Renamed Metal Box & Printing Industries

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  The newly consolidated business adopted the Metal Box & Printing Industries name.

• 1921

  Allied Tin Box Makers established

  [1]Novar plcen.wikipedia.org

  Four British tin-box and printing businesses combined to form the organization that became Metal Box.

Novar plc was positioned as a diversified industrial and building-products group rather than as a consumer-facing standalone brand. Its corporate strategy moved from manufacturing scale in packaging toward construction products, heating, bathrooms, and commercial building controls. The later Novar identity emphasized technology, controls, energy management, and the group’s United States interests.

• Packaging

  Metal packaging

  The group’s original business manufactured tin boxes, food cans, decorated biscuit tins, ration containers, and related printed metal packaging. Its technical capabilities included can-making machinery, lithographic decoration, and licensed production methods.

• Heating equipment

  Stelrad radiators

  Stelrad was the group’s heating-equipment division and became one of Europe’s major radiator manufacturers. It formed a central part of the company’s move into building products during the 1980s and 1990s.

• Heating equipment

  Ideal boilers

  Ideal Boilers was part of the heating portfolio assembled around Caradon Stelrad. The business later passed through subsequent ownership changes after Novar’s operating divisions were separated.

• Bathroom products

  Mira Showers

  Mira Showers was a major shower-products business associated with Caradon’s bathroom and plumbing portfolio. It was sold to Kohler in 2001, together with Alstone shower cubicles.

• Bathroom products

  Twyford Bathrooms

  Twyford Bathrooms formed part of Caradon’s sanitaryware and bathroom-products operations. It was sold to Sanitec Group in 2001 as the former group was broken into separate businesses.

• Building automation · 1964

  Novar Controls

  Novar Controls developed centralized and direct-digital-control systems for commercial HVAC, refrigeration, lighting, and energy management. These activities represented the technology-oriented focus of the final Novar plc period and continued in the United States after Honeywell’s acquisition.

• 2005

  Honeywell acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Novar faced a hostile approach from Melrose Industries, followed by a competing offer from Honeywell.

  Action taken

  Novar accepted Honeywell’s offer, after which Honeywell integrated or dismantled the group’s remaining operations.

  Aftermath

  Novar plc ceased to operate as an independent corporate group, although the Novar name survived in United States building-controls activities.

  • Melrose Industries — Melrose withdrew its hostile takeover bid after Honeywell presented a competing offer.

  Source

• 2001

  Sale of bathroom businessesM&A

  Background

  Novar’s predecessor was continuing to separate its plumbing and bathroom operations.

  Action taken

  Twyford Bathrooms was sold to Sanitec for £84 million, while Mira Showers and Alstone shower cubicles were sold to Kohler for £301 million.

  Aftermath

  The transactions transferred major consumer-facing bathroom brands to new owners and left Novar more focused on its remaining interests.

  Reported transaction values. £84 million for Twyford; £301 million for Mira and Alstone (January and 19 July 2001)

  Source

• 2000

  Disposal of Caradon Plumbing SolutionsStrategy

  Background

  Caradon was separating its operating businesses and reducing its exposure to traditional plumbing and bathroom products.

  Action taken

  Caradon Plumbing Solutions was sold to HSBC Private Equity for £442 million.

  Aftermath

  The transaction contributed to the breakup of the Caradon group and preceded the adoption of the Novar name.

  Transaction value. £442 million (9 October 2000)

  Source

• 1995

  Caradon restructuringStrategy

  Background

  Competitive and structural pressures led management to simplify the diversified group.

  Action taken

  The restructuring eliminated approximately 1,600 jobs and removed a full management layer; further business disposals followed in 1996.

  Aftermath

  The program reduced the group’s complexity but did not prevent the subsequent sale and separation of major operating divisions.

  Source

• 1988

  Rebrand from Metal Box to MB GroupStrategy

  Background

  The historic packaging identity no longer represented the group’s increasingly important heating, bathroom, engineering, and other building-products activities.

  Action taken

  The company adopted the MB Group name and continued expanding its building-products portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The reorientation supported later development under the Caradon identity and the eventual exit from packaging.

  Source

1. 1Novar plcen.wikipedia.org