Business History Explorer Supported by the Business Archives Council

GEC Ltd

Other Business Names:

  • Binswanger & Co
  • General Electrical Apparatus Co
  • Osram
  • Fraser & Chambers Ltd
  • Radio & Allied Industries Ltd
  • Weinstock, Sir Arthur, later Lord Weinstock
  • AEI Ltd
  • English Electric Ltd
  • Avery, W & T, Ltd
  • Marconi Corp Ltd
  • Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd
  • Telent Plc
  • Hirst, Lord
  • Plessey Plc

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

  • London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
  • Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, North West, England
  • Wembley, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
  • Witton, Birmingham, West Midlands, West Midlands, England

Sectors:

  • Electrical & electronic engineering Electrical & electronic engineering, general
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Electrical & non electrical appliances inc sewing machines, etc, production
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Electrical & non electrical lighting & heating equipment production
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Electrical generators, motors, transformers, etc, production
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Electricity control, distribution, etc, equipment production
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Electronic equipment & components production
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Radar equipment production
  • Transport equipment production Railway locomotive, rolling stock & components production & repair
  • Transport equipment production Shipbuilding & repairing exc small craft
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Telephone & telegraph equipment production
  • Electrical & electronic engineering Television & radio transmitting & receiving equipment production
  • Mechanical engineering Weighing machine production

Notes:

Traced origins to the 1880s and the formation of the electrical goods wholesalers, G Binswanger & Co. Reorganised as General Electric Apparatus Co in 1886 in which Hugo Hirst and Gustav Byng were the leaders; the former, later Lord Hirst, led the business until 1943. Started to manufacture bells, switches, telephones, etc, at Salford in 1887. 1889 incorporated as General Electric Co Ltd. Public company 1900. Started to make electric lighting 1893, subsequently under the Osram brand. 1902 opened Witton Works, Birmingham, as its principal manufacturing centre. Entered heavy electrical engineering in 1918 through acquisition of Fraser & Chalmers Ltd. c1919 opened research laboratories. Post 1945 acquired a succession of major businesses: Radio & Allied Industries Ltd in 1961 (managed by (Sir, later Lord) Arthur Weinstock), AEI Ltd in 1967, English Electric (including Marconi) in 1968, W & T Avery Ltd in 1979, Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd in 1985, most notably Plessey Plc in 1989, etc. In this period, from 1963, led by Arnold Weinstock, 1924-2002, until his retirement in 1996; he revived the business and confirmed it as a leading international player. Subsequently refocused in mid-1990s when defence interests merged with British Aerospace to form BAE Systems. Remainder of business then renamed Marconi Plc and subsequently Marconi Corp Plc in 2003. The strategy was ill-judged. Most remaining operations were acquired by Ericsson in 2005 and what was left was renamed Telent Plc [2024]

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