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PARENT COMPANIES (In approx. date order)
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| W. G. Pye & Co. Ltd | Humberstone Road & other Cambridge locations | Parent Company (and domestic radio receivers) | 1896 | 1929 | WG Pye Ltd formed 1896. On 1 July 1968 WG Pye (by then only the scientific instruments division) merged with Unicam Ltd (analytical instruments) to form Pye Unicam Ltd | | Pye Radio Ltd | Montague Road/Haig Road, Camb | Domestic Radio & TV receivers | reg 12 Feb 29 | 1937 | Pye Radio Ltd formed 12 Feb 1929, changed name to Pye Ltd 15 June 1937 | | Pye Ltd | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge | Parent Company (also domestic radio & TV receivers) | 27 Jul 1937 | 1960 | Group parent company From 1937-1967 From 1967 Pye Ltd became Pye Group (Radio & television) Ltd. UK Company 00316939, last dormant accounts 26/06/2007, dissolved 09/12/2008 | | British Electronic Industries Ltd | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge | 1st parent Company of merged Pye and Ekco groups | 1960 | 1963 | British Electronics Industries formed as combined group parent in 1960 after merger between Pye & Ekco groups | | Pye of Cambridge Ltd | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge | 2nd parent Company of merged Pye and Ekco groups | 1960 | 1978 | Pye of Cambridge (company number 00674887) formed in 14 November 1960, last dormant company accounts made up to 13/08/2009, company dissolved 15/02/2012 | | Pye Holdings Ltd (Philips owned parent of Pye of Camb) | London | 100% owned by Philips Elect. UK to hold 60% of Pye group | 01 Apr 1967 | 1978 | Pye Holdings formed by Philips Electronics UK formed to hold Philips 60% shareholding in Pye Group | | Philips Electronic Industries UK | London | The UK National Organisation of NV Philips | 1977 | n/a | Philips Electronics UK was the UK National Organisation of NV Philips, Netherlands | | Philips Radio Communications Systems | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge | Formed from all Pye & Philips radio communications companies | 01 Jan 1986 | 01 Jul 1996 | In 1986 all Pye and Philips radio communications companies combined into one group - except Marantz Radio, Japan (Philips only owned 49%). | | Simoco International Ltd | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge | Radio communications products, systems & service | 01 Jul 1996 | from April 2002 | Simoco International Ltd formed 1 July 1996 to purchase all the radio communications companies of Philips from Philips Electronics UK except Marantz Radio | | Simoco Group companies individually sold off or closed | Various UK and overseas owners | Radio communications products & systems only | from April 2002 | some active today | Present day Simoco International descendants to be listed separately in due course | | Team Simoco | Derby, Huntingdon, Melbourne Australia etc | Radio communications products, systems & service | from 2002 | to present day | See separate list of Simoco companies in 2013 |
UK COMPANIES (by business activity group)
Analytical, Scientific Instruments & Controls
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| W. G. Pye & Co. Ltd then Pye Unicam Ltd in 1968 | Various locations in Cambridge | Scientific laboratory instruments | Formed in 1896 | 01 Jul 1968 | WG Pye and Unicam Ltd merged 1 July 1968 to form Pye Unicam | | Unicam Instruments Ltd then Pye Unicam Ltd in 1968 | York Street, Cambridge CB1 2PX | Analytical Instruments | operational in 1972 | 01 Jul 1968 | merged with WG Pye 1 july 1968 | | Pye Unicam Ltd | York Street, Cambridge CB1 2PX | Analytical Instruments & distribution of Philips instruments | 1 July 1968 op in 72 | | | | Pye Ether Ltd | Caxton Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2DG | Electronic components and equipment for process control | operational in 1972 | | | | Ether Engineering Ltd | | | | | | | Ether Bigglewade Ltd | | | | | | | Ekco Instruments Ltd | Southend-on-sea, SS2 6PS | process weighing systems, nucleonic counters, military equip | operational in 1972 | | | | Pye Electric Ltd | Oulton Works, Lowestoft, Suffolk | Various process controls and industrial equipment | operational in 1972 | | Huge range of industrial products and services - see June 1972 documents for details | | Faraday Radio Gamophones Ltd | London, SW9, later Blue town, Sheerness Kent | Wide range of electronics for commercial and military use | op in early 1960s | | by 1960 called Faraday Electronic Instruments Ltd |
Radio Communications, Line & Broadcasting
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| Pye Telecommunications Ltd | Newmarket Road, Cambridge | Radio communications equipment | 1944 | 1986 | Pye Telecommunications Ltd formed Feb 1944 | | Pamphonic Reproducers Ltd | Colindale, London, NW9 | Public address & audio equipment | | | | | Labgear (Cambridge) Ltd | Abbey Walk, Cambridge CB1 2RQ | TV test equipment, radio equipment, contract design & manuf. | operational in 1972 | | | | Greasby Instruments Ltd | Kingston By-Pass, Surbiton, Surrey | Electronic equipment for test, defence, avionics, fuel & power | operational in 1972 | | | | Rees Mace Marine Ltd | London, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft | Marine radio equipment | | | Suspect this was merged with Pye Marine 1957-1960 | | Pye Marine Ltd | Oulton Broad, Lowestoft | Marine radio equipment | | | Note - with time Pye Marine and Rees-Mace Marine simply became brand names and distribution channels of Pye Telecom. The same product could be sold with three different brand names through three different routes | | Pye Scottish Telecommunications Ltd (Airdrie Electronics) | Victoria Place, Aidrie, ML6 9BL, Scotland | Telephones, military radio communications equipment etc | 23 Oct 1968 | 04 Sep 1998 | Company number SC046045 manufactured radio equip and telephones (£2.5M order), from 1970 TMC Ltd, Later Philips BCS, Later Telecom Sciences Ltd, Later Mitel and finally TML | | RF Heating Ltd | Cambridge | RF heating transmitters | | | | | Pye TVT Ltd (started as a division in Pye Telecom) | PO Box 41, Coldhams Lane, Cambridge CB1 3JU | TV & sound studio broadcasting equipment and transmitters | 22 Mar 1960 | 01 Sep 1998 | | | High Definition Television Ltd | who is this? | TV manufacturing or CCTV? | | | 1965 Industrial Div of Pye Telecom merged with Pye HDT to combine CCTV interests | | E.K.Cole Malmesbury Ltd | | Avionics & airborne radar | | | | | Pye Business Communications Ltd | Cromwell Road, Cambridge, CB1 3EL | telephone exchanges, audio, CCTV, security alarms etc | operational in 1972 | | Formed about 1970 from Pye Telephones and the sound & vision activities of Pye TVT Ltd | | Sepura Ltd | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge | Tetra PMR hand portable radios for Public Safety and Industry April 2002 | | Present day | Specialises in Tetra hand portable PMR radios, was the Tetra portable development activity of Simoco | | The Telephone Manufacturing Co Ltd (TMC) (Pye TMC) | Head Office, Martel Road, Dulwich, SE21 8EF | Telephone line and subscrber equipment for GPO and industry | operational in 1972 | | also Pye TMC St. Mary Cray, Kent, also Roper Road, Canterbury, also Hardwick Trading Estate, Kings Lynn - See Ref a Jun 1972 doc |
Radio, TV & Domestic Equipment Division
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| Pye Radio Ltd | Montague Road/Haig Road, Camb | Domestic Radio & TV receivers | reg 12 Feb 29 | 1937 | Pye Radio Ltd changed name to Pye Ltd 15 June 1937 | | Pye Ltd Sales Division (Home & Export) | St. Andrews Road, Cambridge, CB4 1DS | Main sales operation for consumer products | operational in 1972 | | | | Corran Works Ltd | Larne, Northern Ireland | Domestic Radio & TV receivers | | | From 1947 based in Larne, Northern Ireland and intended as a lower cost radio production facility to serve export markets | | Invicta Radio Ltd | Langham, London | Domestic radio & TV receivers - brand in use 1972 | | | | | Woodcraft Production (Cambridge) Ltd | Cambridge | Radio, TV & Audio Cabinets | | | | | L. G. Hawkins & Co Ltd | London | Domestic electrical appliances etc | | | | | Pam (Radio & Television) Ltd | Langham, London | Domestic radio & TV receivers | | | | | TV Manufacturing Ltd | Lowestoft | TV receivers | | | | | UTM Ltd | Cambridge | TV rentals?? | | | | | United Rentals Ltd | Cambridge | TV rentals | | | | | Dynatron Radio Ltd (also at Hansa Road Kings Lynn) | St. Peter's Road, Furzeplatt, Maidenhead SL6 7QY | high quality radio, TV, audio equipment etc | operational in 1972 | | Note, Dynatron manufactured Rebecca airborne radar equipment during WW2 - what happened in the early post-war period? | | United Television Manufacturers | Cambridge and 5 regional service deopts | Servicing of Pye Group radio and TVs | | | | | Radio & T.V. Services Ltd | Cambridge | Servicing of Pye Group radio and TVs | | | | | Combined Electronic Services | | | | | set up in 1954 Servicing of all Pye, Pam, Invicta Radio domestic radio and TV source Wireless World August 1954 page 362 | | Pye Ltd/Ekco Heating & Appliance Division | Drury Lane, Hastings, Sussesx | Domestic and industrial heating appliances | | | |
Components, Services & Processes
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| Cathodeon Ltd | Nuffield Road, Cambridge | Thermionic valves, CRT & glass/metal seals | 1935 still op. in 1972 | 1968 | Confusion as to which Cathodeon is which - Development on CRT began in 1930 - Cathodeon formed in 1935 - merged into Pye Unicam Ltd 1968 | | Cathodeon Electronic Ltd | Southend | Thermionic valves & TV camera tubes | ? | ? | Confusion as to which Cathodeon is which - What did Cathodeon Kings Lynn do? | | Magnetic Devices Ltd | Exning Road, Newmarket, also Swaffham | Electro-magnetic relays & various control components | About 1947 | ? | Magnetic Devices started as a department in Pye Telecom in circa 1947 at Ditton Works, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, formed in association with Guardian Electric Corp, Chicago | | Pye Industrial electronics Ltd | Ditton Works, Cambridge, then Newmarket | became Magnetic Devices about 1947 | ? | | | | Cathodeon Crystals Ltd | Linton, Cambridge, CB1 6JU | Quartz Crystals, filters, crystal ovens etc | 1954? op. in 1972 | ? | | | Pye Engineering Services Ltd | Newmarket Road/East Road junction, Camb | Sheet metal components, racks, cabinets, plating, painting etc | still op. in 1972 | 1979 | This company was operational when I joined Pye Telecom in 1964 - see june 1972 document for details | | BEPI (Electronics) | Galabank Mill, WilderHaugh, Galashiels, Scot | Printed circuit board manufacture, flexible circuits etc | 1962 still op. in 1972 | 17 Jan 1992 | BEPI formed in 1962 (ref Galashiels Local History Society) may also have been known as BEPI Circuits Ltd | | Varelco Ltd | Exning Road, Newmarket, Suffolk | Electrical connectors, plugs and sockets | operational in 1972 | | | | Newmarket Transistors Ltd | Exning Road, Newmarket | Semiconductor devices, thick and thin film hybrids etc | operational in 1972 | | | | Lindley-Thompson Transformer Co Ltd | | Electricity power distribution transformers | operational in 1960s | | | | Egen Electric Ltd | Charfleet Ind. Estate, Canvey Island, Essex | potentiometers, & switches for radio & TV industry | operational in 1972 | | | | Ekco Plastics Ltd | Southend-on-sea, Essex, SS2 6PP | Injection & compression moulded plastic components | operational in 1972 | | | | Cabinet Industries Ltd | Walthamstow Avenue, Chingford, E4 8QE | Manufacturers of wooden cabinets for radio, TV etc | operational in 1972 | | | | Hinchley Engineering Co. Ltd | Southgate House, Devizes, Wiltshire | Electrical transformers, power supplies, wound components | operational in 1972 | | | | Pye Switches Ltd | Otehall Works, Burgess Hill, Sussex | Electrical switches for aviation, and industry etc | operational in 1972 | | | | Pye Thermal Bonders Ltd | 28 James Street, Cambridge, CB1 1HY | Radio frequency heaters and presses for wood work industry | operational in 1972 | | | | CCL Ltd | Hanworth Lane, Chertsey, Surrey | Aluminium electrolytic capacitors, suppression filters etc | operational in 1972 | | | | Pye Connectors Ltd | Hitchin Street, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire | Electrical connectors for military and commercial apps, etc | operational in 1972 | | | | Pye Dynamics Ltd | Park Avenue, Bushey, Herts | R & D for HM Government etc, Environmental Testing facilities | operational in 1972 | | Huge range of industrial products and services - see June 1972 documents for details | | Pye TMC Components Ltd | Graham Bell House, Roper Road, Canterbury | Electro-mechanical components, relays, switches, etc | operational in 1972 | | Also at Old Meadow Road, Hardwich Trading Estate, Kings Lynn |
Other (which do not fit the above main headings)
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| HC Banham Ltd | Riverside Works, Mariners Way, Cambridge | Manufacture, hire & operation of boats, Ships Chandlers etc | operational in 1972 | | | | Nixa Records Ltd/Pye Records Ltd | Trafalgar, London | Audio Recording & records | | | Nixa Records formed 1950-bought by Pye and merged with Polygon in 1956, name changed to Pye Records in 1959 | | W. Watson & Sons Ltd | Barnet, Hertforshire | Medical equipment (Iron Lung etc) | | | | | W. Bryan Savage Ltd | | Vibration tables etc | | | | | ATV Ltd (9% shareholding) | Birmingham | London & Midlands ITV broadcasting | | | | | Pye Finance Ltd | | | | | | | Cambridge Data Processing Ltd | St.Andrews Road, Cambridge | Computer data services bureau for Pye and other customers | 1969 still op. in 1972 | | | | Pye Ltd. Personal Export Division | 295 Regent Street, London W1R 8DX | Diplomatic sales and export of radio, TV, HiFi | operational in 1972 | | | | Communications Services Ltd | St.Andrews Road, Cambridge | Leasing facilities in the UK for Pye Group products | operational in 1972 | | |
Companies awaiting identification and details
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| Holloway Engineering Works Ltd | London, N7 | | | | | | Pamrex Ltd | Langham, London | | | | | | Power Controls Ltd | Newmarket, Cambridge | | | | | | V.C. Bond & Sons Ltd | | | | | | | Ekco Electronics Ltd | | | | | |
OVERSEAS OPERATING COMPANIES
Pye Group
Company Name |
Company Location |
Business Activity Area |
Created/Acquired
or known active |
Merged/Closed
or Dosposed |
Notes |
| Coronet Industries Ltd | Hong Kong | Manufacture of radio and TV | about 1948 | | Coronet Industries, Hong Kong formed about 1948 as a low cost manufacturing centre, but not often mentioned in company documents | | Pye-Electronic Ltd | Melbourne ,Australia | Radio communications equipment | | | became Pye Industries Ltd | | Pye Canada Ltd | Ajax, Ontario, Canada | Radio communications equipment | | | | | Pye (Ireland) Ltd | Finglas, Dublin, Eire | Radio communications ancillary equipment | | | | | Pye (New Zealand) Ltd | Auckland, New Zealand | Radio communications equipment | | | | | Pye Radio & Television Pty (S. Africa) | Johannesburg, South Africa | Domestic Radio & TV | | | | | Technico Ltd | Sydney, Australia | | | | | | Bendix-Technico Pty | Sydney, Australia | | | | | | Akrad Radio Corporation Ltd | Waihi, New Zealand | Manufacture of Radio, TV, radiotelephones | | | | | G.A. Wooler & Co Ltd | Auckland, New Zealand | Distribution of Pye radiotelephones | | | | | Green & Cooper Ltd | Wellington, New Zealand | | | | | | Pye Corporation of America | New York, USA | | | | opened in 1954 Wireless World Aug 1954 page 361 | | Pye (France) S.A. | Paris, France | Does this include SFTP Paris?? | | | | | Deutsche Pye G.m.b.H. | | | | | | | Unidare Ltd (a group of 9 Irish companies) | Republic of Ireland | Domestic appliances & industrial processes | Joined Pye 1964 | | | | Pye Italy (2 companies) | | | | | |
Various joint ventures & franchises to be added as information is confirmed
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