| Industry | conglomerate |
|---|---|
| Fate | Merged with Siebe |
| Successor | Invensys |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
| Key people | Sir Owen Green, (Chairman) |
BTR plc was a British industrial conglomerate, which merged with Siebe in 1999 to form BTR Siebe plc, later renamed Invensys. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
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BTR started in 1924, when the B.F.Goodrich Company of the USA formed a UK subsidiary British Goodrich Rubber Co. Ltd. In 1934 Goodrich sold most of its shares in the company, which changed its name to the British Tyre & Rubber Co. Ltd.[1] In 1956 the company changed its name to BTR Limited, when it ceased production of tyres.[2]
The Company was dominated by Sir Owen Green from 1967 to 1993 first as Managing Director (until 1986) and then as Chairman.[3] By 1982 BTR had acquired a large number of companies in the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Germany.[2] In 1985 BTR acquired Dunlop Holdings plc.[4] The Dunlop road tyre business was immediately sold to Sumitomo Rubber Industries.[5] In late 1985, BTR launched a hostile take-over bid for Pilkington, a leading manufacturer of high quality glass, with operations worldwide. After a successful defensive campaign by Pilkington, BTR was forced to withdraw its offer in early 1986.[6]
In 1992, Hawker Siddeley Group Plc was acquired by BTR plc for £1.5bn.[7]
BTR also had an industrial products operation in Australia known as Nylex which it secured complete control of in 1995.[8]
Between 1996 and 1998, BTR sold the remaining Dunlop companies.[9]
In 1999 BTR merged with Siebe to form BTR Siebe plc, which was renamed Invensys plc.[10]
The Company was latterly organised into the following businesses:[11]