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

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 Crown Berger, a paints business, in 1987, 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]

In 1988, Williams Holdings acquired Berger, Jenson and Nicholson Ltd from Hoechst AG.[2]

It started to focus on security in the 1990s, selling its paints business to Akzo Nobel in 1990.[3] In February 1997, it bought Chubb Security for $US2.1 billion.[4] It changed its name to Williams plc in 1998 and sold Yale Lock Company to Assa Abloy in March 2000.[5]

Demerging

The company demerged into Chubb and Kidde in July 2000.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nigel Rudd, My best deal Archived 8 September 2012 at archive.today Management Today, 1 April 1991
  2. ↑ "Berger, Jenson and Nicholson, Paint Makers Records".
  3. ↑ "Flint Group: Significant dates". Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  4. ↑ Williams of Britain to buy Chubb Security New York Times, 15 February 1997
  5. ↑ Swedish firm to buy Williams's Yale Lock Unit Los Angeles Times, 8 March 2000
  6. ↑ Williams plunges 14% as margins shrink Independent, 19 July 2000


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