Laird plc
Public (LSE: LRD) | |
Industry | Electronics |
Founded | 1824 |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Key people |
Dr Martin Read CBE Chairman David Lockwood CEO |
Revenue | £630.4 million (2015)[1] |
£22.5 million (2015)[1] | |
£(7.6) million (2015)[1] | |
Website | www.laird-plc.com |
Laird plc is a leading British-based electronics and technology business. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
The company was founded by John Laird in 1824 as Birkenhead Ironworks in Liverpool.[2] In 1903 it merged with Charles Cammell & Company Limited and, as Cammell Laird, went on to build numerous ships for the Royal Navy.[2] In 1976 its transport division, which traded as Metro-Cammell, secured a major order to build mass transit railway carriages for the Hong Kong Mass Transit System.[3]
In 1977 its shipbuilding business was nationalised and in 1989 it disposed of its mass transit railway activities.[4] In the 1980s it moved into security products and in the 1990s into electronics. In 2000 it disposed of its automotive industry activities[5] and more recently, in 2007, it disposed of its security business.[6] In 2008 it changed its name from Laird Group PLC to Laird PLC.[7]
More recently the company has expanded in electronics with acquisitions such as Wisconsin based LS Research in November 2015[8] and German based Novero in December 2015.[9]
Operations
The company's has operations organised as follows:
- Performance Materials
- Wireless Systems
References
- 1 2 3 "Annual Report 2015" (PDF). Laird plc. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- 1 2 "Cammell Laird day two: The fall and rise of a maritime giant". Liverpool Echo. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "Metro's well tried technology". New Scientist. 8 December 1977. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "A Brief History of the Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd 1845-1945". Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "Trelleborg to buy Laird's components". The Engineer. 15 November 2000. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "Laird Group waits for shareholder approval". DIY Week. 5 April 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "The Laird Group PLC Annual General Meeting". 9 May 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ "Laird Acquires LS Research". Interactive Investor. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ↑ "Laird PLC Acquisition of Novero for €65 million". Directors Talk Interviews. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.