Seamless Tubes Ltd, Wednesfield
- Ref No: D-EXP/P/I29/49
- Repository: Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies
- Date: 28 Feb 1990
- Additional Information: A team of Japanese engineers from the Kawasaki Steel Corporation visiting to commission new monitoring equipment. Pictured are (from left) Mark Dimmock, Chikao Kawahara, Toshiaki Kasuya, Paul Groves, Norio Knoya and Yukio Muraoka.
- Admin History: The business was founded in 1872 when two Quakers, William Ellis Lloyd and William Henry Lloyd entered into a partnership with a Wednesfield manufacturer, Francis Harry Lloyd (who later founded what was Europe's largest steel casters F. H. Lloyd & Co. Ltd). The original works were in Icknield Port Road and Freeth Street in Birmingham. Seamless tubes were made there by initially boring a single hole down the middle of a steel billet and expanding it. In 1899, on the death of William Ellis Lloyd, and the retirement of William Henry Lloyd, Weldless became a limited company, with Francis Henry Lloyd as chairman. In 1901, the Reliance Works in Wednesfield were leased and later purchased in 1907, along with a steel mill in 1911, at Hope Works, Wednesfield. After the First World War (1914-1918), Francis Henry Lloyd (and his son) died, to be succeeded by the the new chairman, Francis Zachary Lloyd. He decided in 1920, to close the Birmingham works and concentrate production at Wednesfield. He unfortunately died around the same time. By the early 1920s, trade was so bad that the works closed down during 1922-24. They re-opened after joining Tube Investments Ltd (later the Tube Investments Group) in 1929, but closed down again during the Depression years, re-opening again in 1934. The years of the Second World War (1939-1945) saw orders increase for aircraft gas cylinders and barrage balloons. By 1959, the company claimed to have produce the world's longest rolled stainless tube (over 55 ft. long and 6 in. outside diameter). By 1969, newly installed automated plant (at an address quoted in the Wolverhampton Official Handbook of 1969, as Waddens Brook Lane) could produce more than 10,000 tons of tubes annually. At some point during the 1970s, the company appeared to be known as T I Weldless Ltd, employing around 1,500 people.
- Extent: 1 item
- Level: Item
- Keywords:
- Access Status: Open
- For more information contact: Wolverhampton Archives
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