Charlton House, Company HQ in Cheltenham

SPIRAX-SARCO ENGINEERING

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CIBSE Heritage Group

SARCO COMPANY In 1890 the Company was founded as Sanders, Rehders & Co (Sarco) in London importing steam traps from Germany. In 1907 it established an office in New York, trading as Sarco Fuel Saving & Engineering Company. In 1932 a new business was established in London to manufacture Sarco steam traps under the brand name Spirax.* Sarco set up its own factory in Pennsylvania in 1935 becoming the Sarco Manufacturing Corporation and exported Sarco-branded steam traps and apparatus to Europe. Sanders, Rehders & Co changed its name to Sarco Thermostats, becoming a sales agent for Sarco products. In 1937 Spirax Manufacturing Company acquired Sarco Thermostats and set up in Cheltenham. In the 1940s, Spirax obtained the trading rights for the UK and various European and Scandinavian countries. Later, in the 1950s, Sarco International of New York formed Sinco, retaining the production rights within the USA and acquiring steam traps rights in Europe (including those countries in which Spirax traded). SPIRAX-SARCO But in 1952, Spirax purchased sole rights to Sarco products in the UK and in 1953 was renamed as Spirax-Sarco Ltd. In 1957, Spirax-Sarco took over Sinco, obtaining worldwide rights to the Sarco steam trap brand, other than in the USA and Canada (these remaining rights were purchased in 1983). Then in 1959, Spirax-Sarco floated on the London Stock Exchange as Spirax-Sarco Engineering Ltd and then in 1963 bought Drayton Controls. From 1990, the Company acquired several businesses including: 1990 Watson Marlow (pumps): 1993 Jucker Industrial Division (controls): 1996 Bredel Hose Pumps: 2001 M&M International (valves): 2005 Mitech Actuators & Controls, Proportional Control Technology and then EMCO Flow Systems (meters). It then expanded into Turkey, China, Russia and Chile. (* The brand name Spirax was derived from the helical spiral tubing which formed an integral part of the steam traps.)

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In 1953, in a joint partnership the assets of Spirax Manufacturing were acquired by Lionel Northcroft, In 1957 Northcroft bought

Sarco International.

REFERENCES ----- Sarco Company, Grace’s Guide ----- Spirax-Sarco, Grace’s Guide ----- Spirax Manufacturing Company, Grace’s Guide ----- Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Wikipedia ----- Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc, Company History, from Company website Note: Dates for various business activities vary slightly according to the source examined.