Industry and Commerce

Acalor (1948) - Acid Resisting Cement

The company moved to Crawley in 1953.


A.P.V. - Engineers and Founders to Brewery, Chemical and Dairy Trades

Founded in 1910 as The Aluminium Plant and Vessel Co. Ltd. In 1949 the decision was taken to conentrate the companies scattered resources in one place, and APV employees and their families were shown around Crawley on four consecutive Saturday's during September 1950. Construction of the new factory was started in 1951 and completed by July 1952, followed by the first stage of the move between July and December. More buildings were added before production was concentrated at Crawley by early 1955.


Aerocontacts - Aeronautical Accessories, Components and Equipment

Established at Gatwick Airport for nearly ten years before taking over new premises in Crawley.


Aerox - Porous Ceramics

Associated London - Industrial Cleaners - Northgate

Babcock - 11 The Boulevard (2014)

Bale & Church - "Kleenoff" Liquid Cleaner

Bannister - Motor Engineer
Bannister's was in the Brighton Road, opposite the Imperial Picture Theatre.

Bartley and Ward - Builders, Decorators, Plumbers, Undertakers - 5 & 7 Three Bridges Road, Cross Keys, Telford Place
The Gates family had run a building firm in Three Bridges Road since 1855. The business was taken over about 1899 by Tommy Bartley and John Ward, who had previously been employees of James Longley. By 1913 the business had expanded into plumbing, house decorating and a funeral service. There was also a wood yard in Cross Keys and builder's yard further along Three Bridges Road almost opposite the Friary. Hall, Beddel & Co. became the new owners in 1930.

Bell Precision Engineering Co - 117 High Street (1951)

Beric Press - Colour Printers

The Borough Press - Printing Manufacturers - Stephenson Way

F.H. Bourner (Supataps) - Production Engineers

Boxall and Collins - Garage and Service Station - Northgate

Branson & Co. - Coffee Essence

V.J. Breen - Plastic Injection Moulding - Stephenson Way

Brentford Transformers - Transformers

Bridgeman Cramp & Co. - Power Engineering, Tool and Gauge Makers

British Liquid Inks - Inks, Oils and Paints

Oliver Burridge - Colour Printers

British Manufactured Bearings - 109 High Street (1951)
The British Manufactured Bearings was started in 1946 by John Bass, and was located in Victory Works behind the George Hotel. The company specialised in making high precision miniature balls and bearings. They moved to Irvine New Town in 1973, but closed down the following year.

Castlenau Instruments - Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Makers of Radar and Electrical Accessories

Clough Smith & Co. - Electrical Contractors - Stephenson Way

A.C. & K.W. Coles - Small Metal Furnishings - Stephenson Way

Concrete & Structural Products - Structural Steelwork, Welded Reinforcement and Metal Shuttering

Crawley Gas Works

Crawley Industrial Products - Tushmore Lane

Crawley Metal Productions - 35 Ifield Road

T.G. Dowdall & Son - Bird Cages and Demestic Hardware

Established in a shed in the founder's garden at Peckham in 1880. The company's premises extended to occupy five houses which were rebuilt as a factory in 1905. A new factory was built at Crawley.


H.D. Dundo - Hand Printing - West Green

Edwards High Vacuum - Precision Laboratory Glassware

W. Edwards & Co. - High-vacuum Pumps

The company was founded at Camberwell Green in 1919, moving to Crawley in 1953.


Electric Boiling Plates - Electric Cooker Plates

F. Elliott - Glazier - Gales Place, Three Bridges

Felco (Hoist) Crawley - Lifts, Hoists and Electric Pulley Blocks

F.G. Flower - Printer - West Green

Gadsdon - Garage
Opened by Gaddy Gadsdon in 1905, Gadsdon's occupied the former Imperial Cinema in the Brighton Road.

General Acoustics - Hearing Aids and Electronics, Miniature Radio Sets

Production of hearing aids began in London in 1946. Increasing exports required expansion and a factory was opened in Crawley in early 1954.


K.H.C. Graham & Co. - Precision Woodworkers, Clock Cases, Scientific Instrument Cases

Grayonics - Electronic Instruments

V.W. Green - Motor Repairs - West Green

Hall & Co. - Builders' Merchants - Telford Place

Harris and Howard - Tool Makers - West Green

Hirst Electronic Development - Welding Equipment, Timing Machines and Transformers

Holmwoods - Log and Scrap Metal Merchants - Stephenson Way

Home Counties Dairies - Milk Distribution - Telford Place

Hubners - Lithographers and Showcard Printers

Hurtlea Products Ltd. - 11-13 West Street

Johnson & Bloy - Metallic Inks, Pastes and Varnish

K.D.G. Instruments - Hydrostatic and Pressure Gauges, Textile Machinery

J. Knowles & Co. - Builders' Merchants - Telford Place

Ladd & King - Production Engineers for Radar and Electronics

A.S. Ladley - Liquid Flow Meters

Langley London - Mica, Micanite, Laminated Plastic Tubes and Stampings

Lloyds Register of Shipping Printing House - Register of Shipping and Yacht register

Engaged in the survey and classification of merchant shipping since 1760, its head office is in Fenchurch Street, London. Built by Crawley Development Corporation the Crawley site was completed in 1954 and the Printing House transfered to Crawley that year.


James Longley and Sons - Builders - East Park
James Longley, the son of a timber merchant, was born in Worth on 6th June 1836. After his apprenticeship in Lindfield he entered into partnership with a Mr. Fuller, whose daughter he married. He continued in business on his own and about 1882 moved to Crawley where he set up the Steam Joinery works in East Park. Longley's work included railway stations, new buildings for Christ's Hospital, mansions banks and schools as well as smaller local developments.
On the morning of 20th March 1924 a spark from a passing train started a fire in the joinery yard of Longley's. The fire spread to the workshops and also a doctor's house nearby in the Brighton Road. Crawley and Horsham fire brigades attended, but after four hours all the buildings were ablaze and the entire stock and machinery destroyed.
A Short History of the Firm of Messr.s James Longley and Co., Charles J. Longley, 1923
Crawley Victorian New Town, John Lowerson, 1980

J. Lovell & Co. - Structural Steel Engineers

J. Lyons & Co. - Food Distribution Depot - Telford Place


Manor Royal, Crawley 1948-1980, Sussex Industrial History No. 47 (2017)