FKI (company)

FKI
Company typePrivate
IndustryEngineering
Founded1920
HeadquartersLoughborough, UK
OwnerMelrose

FKI is a British engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in Loughborough, Leicestershire. For many years listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, it was taken private by buyout firm Melrose in July 2008.

History

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The company was founded in 1920 as a manufacturer of parking meters, trading as Fisher Limited. The name was subsequently changed to Fisher Karpark Industries ('FKI'). In 1987 it merged with Babcock International to form FKI Babcock[1] but then demerged the heavy engineering parts of Babcock again in 1989.[2] The company was taken private by buyout firm Melrose in July 2008[3] in a deal worth over £500 million.[4]

Organisation and subsidiaries

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FKI plc has a large number of subsidiaries, which it divides into four groups:

  • Energy Technology - Electrical generation apparatus
  • Lifting Products and Services - Lifting apparatus (wire ropes, hooks etc.). The waste recycling businesses operated by FKI (recycling machinery) are also incorporated into this section.
  • Hardware - Domestic fittings - door handles, hinges etc. as well as office fittings.
  • FKI Logistex - Product handling automation - conveyor belts, RFID implementation, baggage handling automation etc.

Energy technology

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Main articles: Brush Turbogenerators, Brush Traction, Brush Transformers, and Hawker Siddeley Switchgear

The Brush group of companies are incorporated into this section, including Brush Turbogenerators manufacturers of mechanical to electrical generation systems,[5] Brush-Barclay and Brush Traction, both involved in rail locomotive manufacture and repair[6] (on 28 February 2011 Wabtec announced that it had acquired Brush Traction for US$31 million)[7] and Brush Transformers which manufactures electrical transformers and switchgear.[8]

Other companies in this group are FKI switchgear (now renamed Hawker Siddeley Switchgear Ltd.) which incorporates Brush switchgear, Whipp & Bourne and others.[9]

Harrington Generators International (HGI) manufacture generator sets for rail, road, and light commercial and agricultural use, as well as supplying the British Army (MoD) with generators.[10]

MarelliMotori also produces electrical generators as well as induction motors.[11]

Lifting products and services

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Acco Material Handling manufactures cranes, hoists and other crane components as well as hand trucks.[12]

Harris Waste Management Group, Inc manufactures balers and shredders for the waste recycling sector.[13]

Welland Forge produces impression die forgings for the automotive, construction, agricultural and recreational markets.[14]

Hardware

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Truth Hardware corporation manufactures commercial window and doors, and fittings.[15]

Weber Knapp produces office fittings including counterbalance devices.[16]

Former businesses

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FKI Logistex

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Logistex produces a full range of item handling automation systems including baggage handling, storage and retrieval systems, conveyors, library systems including RFID solutions, warehousing automation and sorting systems.[17] The company's North American operations were acquired by Intelligrated in June 2009.[18] The European Logistex operations known as Crisplant a/s, who specialized in airport systems, tilt tray and crossbelt sorters, were acquired by BEUMER GmbH in July 2009.

References

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  1. ^ "National Archives: Records". www.nationalarchives.gov.u. Archived from the original on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
  2. ^ "Records of Babcock Industrial & Electrical Products Ltd Archived March 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine" Glasgow University Archive Services
  3. ^ Bland, Ben (2 July 2008). "Ebbing confidence and bank rumours push down FTSE 100". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 July 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  4. ^ Kavanagh, Michael (28 June 2008). "Small-cap company meets big ambitions". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  5. ^ "Home". BRUSH. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Homepage | Wabtec Corporation". www.wabteccorp.com.
  7. ^ "Wabtec buys Brush Traction". Railway Gazette International. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  8. ^ BRUSH Transformers Ltd Archived 2009-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Switchgear: Whipp & Bourne and Hawker Siddeley Switchgear Limited
  10. ^ "Harrington Generators International". Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  11. ^ "Marelli Motori Homepage". Marelli Motori. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  12. ^ "ACCO Homepage". ACCO Material Handling Solutions. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Harris Waste Home Page". www.harriswaste.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  14. ^ wellandforge.com Welland Forge
  15. ^ "Home | Truth Hardware". www.truth.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Kinematic Motion Control & Industrial Hinge Products". Weber Knapp. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  17. ^ FKI Logistex
  18. ^ Intelligrated Completes Acquisition of FKI Logistex Archived 2009-11-25 at the Wayback Machine 23/6/2009 www.intelligrated.com
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