Smiths Group

Infobox Company
company_name = Smiths Group plc
company_
company_type = Public (LSE|SMIN)
foundation = 1851
founder =
location_city = London
location_country = England, UK
key_people =
area_served =
industry = Engineering
products = Detection
Medical
Aerospace
Speciality engineering
revenue = £2,161 million (2007)
operating_income = £257 million (2007)
net_income =£1,728 million (2007)
num_employees = 29,000 (2007)
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
company_slogan = Bringing technology to life
homepage = [http://www.smiths-group.com www.smiths-group.com]
dissolved =
footnotes =

Smiths Group (LSE|SMIN) is a leading British engineering company involved in wide-ranging speciality engineering activities. It is based in London and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History

The company was founded by Samuel Smith in London in 1851 as a clock and watch business. [http://www.smiths-medical.com/about-us/history.html Smiths History] ] At the start of the 20th century, the age of the early automobiles, the Company produced the first British odometer ("mileometer") and speedometer. In the 1930s Smiths agreed a trading deal with Lucas whereby the two would not compete in certain areas and Lucas took on part of Smiths non-instrumentation assets. Smiths became the dominant supplier of instruments to British motorcar and motorcycle firms. From 1915 Smiths had a factory at Cricklewood, north London and later moved their Headquarters there. Cricklewood remained the company's most important manufacturing site into the 1970s, employing 8,000.

Separate Smiths Aviation and Smiths Marine divisions were setup in 1958. In 1960, an Industrial division was formed whose main operations were industrial instrumentation. With increasing diversification and international operations the name "Smiths Industries Ltd." was adopted in 1965. Clocks, watches, and automotive instruments eventually ceased to be significant markets for Smiths, and by the 1980s, the automotive instrument division had been sold, first to VDO, and eventually to the factory employees. The new company, Caerbont Automotive Instruments, continues to produce classic Smiths-branded instruments with the blessing of Smiths Group plc. In 1983 the original equipment and service part of the car instrument side was sold to Lucas in Birmingham and a small number of employees transferred to the Midlands.

On 4 December 2000 Smiths completed a merger with TI Group. TI had major interests in aerospace, industrial seals and automotive parts. [cite news | title = Engineering rivals to merge | publisher = BBC News | date = 2000-09-18 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/930419.stm | accessdate =2006-09-25] The company's name was changed to "Smiths Group plc" on 30 November 2000.

In 2007 GE-Aviation, part of General Electric, acquired Smith's aerospace subsidiary for US$4.8 billion. [" [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116884491959476772.html Smiths Agrees to Aerospace Sale] ." Singer, J. "The Wall Street Journal". January 15, 2007.]

Operations

The Company is organised into the following businesses:

Detection

Smiths Detection is a leading company in the fast growing sector of detection systems. Products of the company include:
*Trace detectors - For the detection of chemical and biological agents, chemicals or explosives.
*X-Ray security systems
*Biometrics - Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity of an individual by measurement of physiological or behavioral features
*Metal detectors
*Product inspection systems - Systems for quality control of products (e.g. food).

Medical

*Airway management
*Needle protection
*Ambulatory infusion
*Medication delivery
*Patient monitoring
*Temperature Management

The research and development of medical airways division is the primary route of the company's future strategic development plan.

Speciality Engineering

*Flexible Technologies
*Interconnect
**Times Microwave Systems - LMR low-loss communications coaxial cable
**Smiths Interconnect Microwave Components - RF Components and Cable Assemblies
*John Crane - mechanical seals
*Kelvin Hughes Limited - Marine Systems
*Tubular Systems
**Titeflex - flexible fluid hoses
**Lewis and Saunders - tubular assemblies
**Gastite - fuel piping products

References

External links

* [http://www.smiths-group.com Official site]