Image ID: 17990

The Plessey Factory from Beeston Rugby Club, Beeston, 1985

Courtesy of Beeston and District Civic Society

Looking from Ireland Avenue Rugby Ground
Beeston
England

The first factory on this site was the Nelson Cycle Works owned by Messrs Humber and Goddard who built the world renown Humber Bicycle. They left this site and went on to Humber Road Beeston and ultimately Humber went on to Coventry in the 1920s and built Humber Cars. Originally a factory was started there for making telephone material by the National Telephone Co., Ltd., in 1901, and this was taken over by the British L.M. Ericsson Manufacturing Co., Ltd., who are the sole representatives in this country of Messrs. L.M. Ericsson & Co., of Stockholm, the well-known telephone manufacturers, in 1903. Shortly before the transfer, most of the old factory was destroyed by fire, and in the rebuilding it was greatly altered and extended by its owners. In 1904 the factory premises were again extended, and a new power station was built, the old plant being transferred to it, and a good deal of new machinery installed. In 1906 and 1907 a large new building was erected, chiefly devoted to cabinet work. The old factory building covered an area of 63,000 sq. ft., and the cabinet factory 70,000 sq. ft, whilst the power station had an area of 7,000 sq. ft., making a total covered space of 140,000 sq. ft. The company was also the owner of nearly 20 acres of freehold land round the factory buildings. (The part of the factory seen here is the more modern block built in the post war period.) The Beeston Station of the Midland Railway was within a few minutes walk from the works, and quite a number of workmen s houses sprung up to provide accommodation for the employees, at that time between 500 and 600 persons were employed at the works. By 1926 L. M. Ericsson reduced it's share of the company and the Ericsson Telephone Company (ETL) was formed. In 1948 L. M. Ericsson sold their share of the company completely. In 1961 Plessey acquired ETL and by 1988 Plessey and GEC had formed a joint venture company called GEC Plessey Telecommunications. In 1991 Siemens acquired the Plessey part of the joint venture and the company name changes to GPT. In 1998 Siemens increased there share of the company and the name changed to Siemens GEC Communications. The name changed yet again to Siemens Communications Ltd, when Siemens bought the GEC part of the company.

Date: 1985

Organisation Reference: NCCS001041

Organisation: