Business History Explorer Supported by the Business Archives Council

Cohen, George, Sons & Co Ltd

Other Business Names:

  • Cohen, George
  • Cohen, George, Sons & Co
  • New London Electron Works Ltd
  • Pollock Brown & Co
  • Kryn & Lathy Metal Works Ltd
  • Cohen, George, 600 Group Ltd
  • 600 Group Ltd
  • Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd

Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:

  • Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, Wales, Wales
  • Elland, Calderdale, West Yorkshire, Yorkshire & the Humber, England
  • Felixstowe, Suffolk, Suffolk, East of England, England
  • London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England

Sectors:

  • Recycling & waste management Demolition & associated salvage
  • Mechanical engineering Machine tool production
  • Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc Mechanical equipment & components distribution
  • Recycling & waste management Metal recycling
  • Recycling & waste management Shipbreaking
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Structural metal products manufacture inc prefabricated buildings, bridges, gasholders, etc

Notes:

Established 1834 by George Cohen, d1890, as scrap metal dealers based in east London. Emerged as a leading scrap business with important interests by 1870s in shipbreaking (London, Britton Ferry, Felixstowe, etc) and building demolition. Also reconditioned and traded in second hand machinery from 1870s. By mid century known as George Cohen Sons & Co. Acquired, inter alia, New London Electron Works Ltd in 1915, Pollock Brown & Co of Southampton, scrap metal dealers, in 1919, and Kryn & Lathy Metal Works Ltd of Letchworth in 1928. Acquired surplus ammunition and war supplies for scrapping after 1918. Incorporated 1924. 1920s started machine tool manufacture, especially lathes, and established a horticultural building division and other structural metal interests. Floated 1947. 1956 established George Cohen 600 Group Ltd as a holding company. 1970 established a metal handling joint venture with Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. Known as 600 Group Ltd in 1975 and 600 Group Plc in 1981. Gradually withdrew from metal recycling and metal products and continues in 2020 as a leading machine tool and laser marking business headquartered at Elland

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