Bowater Ltd
Other Business Names:
- Bowater, William V
- Bowater, W V, & Sons Ltd
- Lloyd, Edward, Ltd
- Mersey Paper Co Ltd
- Rexam Plc
- Bowater Steamship Co Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Canada
- Ellesmere Port, Cheshire West & Chester, Cheshire, North West, England
- Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, North West, England
- London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
- Northfleet, Kent, Kent, South East, England
- Sittingbourne, Kent, Kent, South East, England
- Sweden
- United States
Sectors:
-
Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc
Paper & stationery distribution
-
Paper & paper products manufacture
Paper containers & other packaging production
-
Paper & paper products manufacture
Paper production inc wood pulp
-
Transport services
Shipping services - long distance, inc ship ownership & management
Notes:
Traced origins to 1881 when established as London paper merchants by William V Bowater, 1838-1907. Incorporated 1910 as W V Bowater & Sons Ltd. Rose rapidly in importance due to connections with newspaper industry, especially the 'Daily Mail'. In order to supply that industry's burgeoning demand from early 1920s entered newsprint production, establishing a huge newsprint mill at Northfleet from 1924 to supply the 'Daily Mail', 'Daily Express', etc, at the same time receiving financial support from those businesses. 1926 public company. Paper making equipment was supplied by Armstrong Whitworth. 1936 acquired the market leaders, Edward Lloyd Ltd of Kemsley, Sittingbourne, and in late 1930s acquired a pulp mill in Sweden and timber assets in Newfoundland. By late 1930s largest newsprint manufacturers in world. 1954 opened a huge plant in Tennessee, USA. 1956 acquired Mersey Paper Co Ltd at Liverpool. From 1950s diversified into packaging in which it became a UK leader, and into shipping for its own needs. 1972 acquired Ralli International Ltd. 1985 reconstructed when US and UK interests separated. 1995 UK business, then focused on packaging, renamed Rexam Plc which continues in 2012
Publications:
- A Growing Concern. An autobiography by Broackes, Nigel
- Bowater. A history by Reader, William J
- Bowaters Build a Mill in Tennessee by Sinclair, Robert G
- Bowaters in North America by Sinclair, Robert G
- Bowaters Today by Unknown
- Failings and achievements. Some British businesses, 1910-80 by Coleman, Donald C
- The Mersey Story by Raddall, Thomas H
- Visit to Bowater's Mersey Paper Mills Ltd by Phillips, H G
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Bowater, William V
- Bowater, W V, & Sons Ltd
- Lloyd, Edward, Ltd
- Mersey Paper Co Ltd
- Rexam Plc
- Bowater Steamship Co Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Canada
- Ellesmere Port, Cheshire West & Chester, Cheshire, North West, England
- Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, North West, England
- London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
- Northfleet, Kent, Kent, South East, England
- Sittingbourne, Kent, Kent, South East, England
- Sweden
- United States
Sectors:
- Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc Paper & stationery distribution
- Paper & paper products manufacture Paper containers & other packaging production
- Paper & paper products manufacture Paper production inc wood pulp
- Transport services Shipping services - long distance, inc ship ownership & management
Notes:
Traced origins to 1881 when established as London paper merchants by William V Bowater, 1838-1907. Incorporated 1910 as W V Bowater & Sons Ltd. Rose rapidly in importance due to connections with newspaper industry, especially the 'Daily Mail'. In order to supply that industry's burgeoning demand from early 1920s entered newsprint production, establishing a huge newsprint mill at Northfleet from 1924 to supply the 'Daily Mail', 'Daily Express', etc, at the same time receiving financial support from those businesses. 1926 public company. Paper making equipment was supplied by Armstrong Whitworth. 1936 acquired the market leaders, Edward Lloyd Ltd of Kemsley, Sittingbourne, and in late 1930s acquired a pulp mill in Sweden and timber assets in Newfoundland. By late 1930s largest newsprint manufacturers in world. 1954 opened a huge plant in Tennessee, USA. 1956 acquired Mersey Paper Co Ltd at Liverpool. From 1950s diversified into packaging in which it became a UK leader, and into shipping for its own needs. 1972 acquired Ralli International Ltd. 1985 reconstructed when US and UK interests separated. 1995 UK business, then focused on packaging, renamed Rexam Plc which continues in 2012Publications:
- A Growing Concern. An autobiography by Broackes, Nigel
- Bowater. A history by Reader, William J
- Bowaters Build a Mill in Tennessee by Sinclair, Robert G
- Bowaters in North America by Sinclair, Robert G
- Bowaters Today by Unknown
- Failings and achievements. Some British businesses, 1910-80 by Coleman, Donald C
- The Mersey Story by Raddall, Thomas H
- Visit to Bowater's Mersey Paper Mills Ltd by Phillips, H G