Strachan Henshaw Machinery
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1879-2000
Strachan Henshaw Machinery (SHM) were manufactures of paper handling and printing equipment. With a history that spanned over 110 years ending in early 2000.
They were based in Speedwell, Bristol, UK and Chicago, USA. The Company designed, developed and manufactured products which were sold to more than 60 countries. In 1999 Over 80% of its business came from overseas.
SHM manufactured a range of products for book printing, sheet cutting and related ancillary products.
Printing Industry Products included the Variquik press for web fed short run book printing, and a range of bespoke web presses for printing medium and long run book, journal and directories in mono or two colours.
Sheet cutting products included the Accutec Modular System and the 1400 High Speed. Both systems were designed for cutting reels into sheets for use by converters, printers, label manufacturers or paper mills. With options available including cut to watermark and cut to register.
Speedwell Sleeves was the brand name given to SHM's range of GRP cylindrical rollers used as plate carriers by flexographic and gravure printers. Most impression roller sleeves used in gravure printing are based on the Speedwell system developed by Strachan Henshaw Machinery. A range of ancillary products were also made such as shaftless unwind reelstands and various types of safety chucks.
[edit] Company History
1879 Robert Strachan and George Henshaw formed their partnership in Victoria Street, Bristol, to make the first ever automatic paper bag making machine. Their first customer was E S & A Robinson.
1890 Larger premises were needed and the Central Engineering Works in the heart of Bristol city was created. They started to make machines for printing onto paper bags and the company started to export its products all over the world.
1892 The Bristol Great Industrial Exhibition. They supplied the power distribution unit and gained widespread recognition for their innovative engineering. Tramcar equipment started to be an important growth area.
1900 George Henshaw retired. A Limited Company ('Strachan & Henshaw Ltd) was incoporated on 24 December 1900, and expansion of the business meant they started to look for another new site.
1904 The Whitehall works were added and production continued on two sites. The business flourished at this time of great industrial growth and the company had two distinct strengths paper and printing equipment and mechanical handling.
1914-18 War work meant the factory made munitions, including an amazing contraption for training aerial gunners. A massive flying target which spun across the air on wires at 75mph.
1920 Robert Strachan retired and the company was acquired by E S & A Robinson, their original customer. This opened up huge new sales opportunities. The first aniline press was developed with quick drying ink, a forerunner to the modern flexographic press. Exports remained strong and many new markets were developed for their printing and paper machines. The first sheet cutters were made.
1939-45 The War once again meant temporary cessation of core activities. A mechanical handling division was created and sited in a new factory in the St Phillips area of the city. Work included the development of equipment for field survey units, gun carriages, and launching rigs; they made submarine-detecting apparatus and torpedo parts, fuse machines, anti-aircraft shells, and trench mortar bombs.
During the war the firm also made a giant railway-truck tipper, 120 feet tall.
1950s Great innovations in book printing took place. Strachan & Henshaw developed the first paperback book press with rubber printing plates and a low cost inking system which enabled paperback books to be mass produced inexpensively. The Central Engineering Works in Bristol closed as the city centre was redeveloped in the post war clearance programme.
1966 Robinsons merged with John Dickinson, the paper mill and stationery group, and the Dickinson Robinson Group (DRG) was formed.
1975 The first Supertrim sheeter was built and batch production of the HS 1400 commenced.
1979 Whitehall Machinery was taken back in to the company and the name changed to Strachan Henshaw Machinery. The company celebrated its centenary.
1981 Many very large and important orders were taken for custom made presses for printing telephone directories as well as high volume books.
1986 Market research pointed the way to the development of a new short run press.
1989 Roland Franklin (Pembridge Associates) acquires DRG.
1990 Variquik was launched to the world market at Drupa.
The mechanical handling business ('Strachan & Henshaw Ltd') was sold to the Weir Group. Strachan Henshaw Machinery (paper and printing equipment) continued on independently from its Bristol Speedwell Factory.
1992 Introduced the Meridian web offset book press to produce high-quality signatures in short to medium runs. Although designed for fast makeready as an essential dedicated press, size change options were available should the printer's need changed in the future. It was targeted for the monocolor market, but a two-color option was available for special applications.
1996 Special Products division is formed on a new site in St Annes, Bristol, to make Speedwell flexo sleeves, reelstands and ancillary products.
1997 Accutec launched at CMM 12, Chicago.
1998 Variquik PC15 launched at Ipex, Birmingham.
1999 Strachan Henshaw Machinery entered into receivership
2000 Closes in March 2000 with the loss of the remaining 260 jobs.
Rossini SPA acquires the Speedwell Sleeve System division of Strachan Henshaw Machinery (SHM).
Körber PaperLink acquires the folio sheeter division of Strachan Henshaw Machinery (SHM).
M&A Thomson Litho Ltd acquires the Variquik division's intellectual property rights and Variquik name of Strachan Henshaw Machinery (SHM).
Strachan & Henshaw Ltd successfully continues today in supplying the Defence and Nuclear Industries from its base in Ashton, Bristol. On 21 April 2008 Weir announced the sale of Strachan & Henshaw Ltd to Babcock International Group for the sum of £65M
