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Williams Holdings

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Williams Holdings
IndustryConglomerate
Founded1982
Defunct2000
FateDemerged
SuccessorChubb
Kidde
HeadquartersDerby, United Kingdom
Key people
Sir Nigel Rudd (co founder and chairman)
Roger Carr (CEO)
Brian McGowan (co founder)

Williams Holdings was a major British conglomerate. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange, and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History

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The company was established by Nigel Rudd and Brian McGowan in Derby in 1982 to acquire under performing businesses.[1] Its first major acquisition was J & HB Jackson, a Coventry based metal business, in 1985.[1]

The company went to acquire Walpamur, a paints business, from Reed International in 1987,[2] and Berger, Jenson and Nicholson, another paints business, from Hoechst AG in 1988. The two businesses were combined to create Crown Berger.[3]

The vehicle division, which operated nineteen car dealerships, was demerged as Pendragon PLC in November 1989.[4]

Williams Holdings bought Pilgrim House in the United States (owners of Kidde) for £331m in 1988 and Yale & Valor, a locks and gas fires business, in 1991.[1]

It started to focus on security in the 1990s, selling its paints business to Akzo Nobel in 1990.[5] In February 1997, it bought Chubb Security for $US2.1 billion.[6] It changed its name to Williams plc in 1998 and sold Yale Lock Company to Assa Abloy in March 2000.[7]

Demerging

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The company demerged into Chubb and Kidde in July 2000.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Nigel Rudd, My best deal". Management Today. 1 April 1991.
  2. ^ "Crown Paint – Brushstrokes of History" (PDF). p. 49. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Berger, Jenson and Nicholson, Paint Makers Records". National Archives. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Bottom Line: Good timing at Pendragon". The Independent. 23 March 1993. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Flint Group: Significant dates". Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  6. ^ Williams of Britain to buy Chubb Security New York Times, 15 February 1997
  7. ^ Swedish firm to buy Williams's Yale Lock Unit Los Angeles Times, 8 March 2000
  8. ^ Williams plunges 14% as margins shrink Independent, 19 July 2000
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