Whessoe Ltd

Sectors:

  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Chemical making, oil refining, etc, plant production
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Gas making plant production exc gasholders
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal casting
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal tanks, reservoirs, baths, sanitary goods, etc, production
  • Transport equipment production Railway locomotive, rolling stock & components production & repair
  • Transport equipment production Railway track, fittings, etc, production
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Structural metal products manufacture inc prefabricated buildings, bridges, gasholders, etc

Notes:

Traces origins to an ironmonger's business established 1790 at Darlington by William Kitching, d1819. By 1796 established an iron foundry which made small general castings. Closely associated with the formation of the Stockton & Darlington Railway Co to which the firm provided castings. 1830s started a large new foundry - Railway Foundry - which also came to provide castings for gasworks, mills, etc, as well as building locomotives in the 1830s and 40s. 1860 disposed of Railway Foundry to the Darlington & Stockton Co and rest of business passed to Charles Ianson as Charles Ianson & Co. Then focused on structural iron work for buildings, tanks, cranes, weighing machines, etc. Reorganised as Whessoe Foundry Co Ltd 1891. By 1900 major activities were plant making for the gas, chemical and especially oil industry, notably tanks and other metal containers. 1921 reconstructed as Whessoe Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd and floated. 1939-45 made, inter alia, underground storage tanks for military use. In decline after 1970 and 1990s acquired by Kvaerner of Norway. Subsequently other owners

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