Baldwin & Francis First European Visibility.net Customer
By Jaclyn Aldrich

The history of BALDWIN & FRANCIS Ltd., dates from 1919 when the Baldwin Electrical Co., was founded by Mr. W.T. Baldwin. Whilst, on the 25th September 1922, a company under the name of Wilfrid Francis & Co. Ltd., was incorporated manufacturing a variety of electrical equipment.

.1928, the Baldwin Electrical Co., was appointed sole agents for the sale of Lighting Gear, Switches and Control Gear manufactured by Wilfrid Francis & Co. Ltd.

.1946, a take-over of Wilfrid Francis & Co. Ltd., was agreed and the company changed its name on the 1st February 1946, to BALDWIN & FRANCIS Ltd.

.During the period from the date of incorporation until 1978 the company remained a family business concentrating its main efforts on the design and manufacture of flameproof, (FLP), electrical equipment for mining.

.In 1978 the business was sold to Northern Engineering Industries, (NEI), and became the founding Business Unit of the Trading Company, NEI Mining Equipment Ltd.

.In 1989 NEI merged with Rolls Royce.

.The early 1990s saw further contraction within the UK coal industry and the decision was taken to close the facility in Altrincham and consolidate the electrical engineering activity onto the, Eyre Street, Sheffield site.

.Following a strategic review by Rolls Royce a decision was taken to divest itself of the Mining Equipment trading company and a Management Buy Out, (MBO), of the BALDWIN & FRANCIS Ltd., business was successfully made by its management in May 1994.

.In 2004 the senior management team raised funds for a second

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