GRAHAM NEILL, DIRECTOR OF OLDHAM CROMPTON BATTERIES' MINING DIVISION AND A FORMER PRESIDENT OF ABMEC, ASSESSES THE OUTLOOK FOR BRITISH MINING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS IN CONVERSATION WITH SIMON DUNTON

摘要

The Oldham company, which had been established in 1865 as a provider of engineering services to Lancashire industry, commenced manufacture of battery-powered mining safety lamps in 1910 and soon diversified into the production of batteries for other applications, such as in motor cars and radios. In 1925 it produced its first traction battery—for a mining locomotive—and went on to make batteries for forklift trucks, other electric vehicles, defence applications and standby power supplies. Still based in Denton, Manchester, England, but now known as Oldham Crompton Batteries, Ltd., the company is now part of the Hawker Batteries Group, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of BTR Industries.