EAW000902 ENGLAND (1946). The Universal Grinding Wheel Company Ltd, Doxey, from the west, 1946

Doxey Road, Stafford, 13/08/2015

UNIVERSAL GRINDING WHEEL - DOXEY



DOXEY ROAD - STAFFORD -STAFFORDSHIRE- ST16 1EA





1893- The origins of Universal lie with Rooper & Harris Ltd’s Castle Works factory (in 1921 the Castle Street works was closed.), founded in 1893 to produce abrasive products, including some for finishing processes in the shoe industry.



1913- In 1913 a new works was opened on Doxey Road, just outside Stafford, to make vitrified grinding wheels.



1914- In 1914 they combined with a number of other similar businesses to become the Universal Grinding Wheel Company. The factory was extended during the First World War.



1935 - Incorporation Date: 3 Apr 1935 - Company Registration No.: 00299219

1935 - a small housing estate was built for workers at Greensome Lane, Doxey in 1935



1950s -By the late 1950s the Doxey factory was the largest of its kind in Europe, covering 44 acres.



1970- By 1970 Universal was Europe’s largest manufacturer of grinding wheels.



By 1977, employed 1,600 people in Stafford.



1980 - Universal’s parent company, Unicorn Industries was acquired by Fonseco Minsep in 1980, which was itself acquired by Burmah Castrol in 1990.



1992- Apax Partners bought the abrasives division in 1992 and sold it to Unitec Ceramics. The new group was called Unicorn International with its headquarters at Doxey.



1997- the Unicorn business was acquired by the French company, Saint-Gobain Abrasives.



2012- Manufacture of abrasives moved in 2012 to a brand new site in Eccleshall but Saint-Gobain has retained the Doxey site for warehousing and sales and support