The 4B Braime Group, headquartered in Leeds, UK and known
across the bulk material handling industry for its range of bucket elevator and
conveyor components, has just celebrated its 130th anniversary. In recognition
of its continuous pursuit of “engineering excellence since 1888”, the company
has been awarded the prestigious Yorkshire Society plaque.
A rich heritage
The Braime Group traces back its origins back to the 19th century, when oilcans, made in a small workshop by Thomas Braime, quickly gained a reputation for quality. Thomas, the eldest son of a veterinary surgeon, was apprenticed to a steam traction engine manufacturer.
After losing his thumb in an accident, Thomas was inspired to look for effective ways to apply oil to machinery without spillage. His new oilcan design, with its detachable spout and handle, provided the user with perfect control. Thomas set up production in 1888 in Leeds. He was joined by his younger brother, Harry, who was also an apprenticed engineer.
The two of them had no money, but it was their ingenuity as engineers and their ambition to be “Better by Design” – still the company’s marketing slogan today – which drove the success of their business. The Braime oilcan was soon exported worldwide to the expanding railway industry and became the method of oiling locomotive wheels.
Around 1900, the brothers pioneered the introduction of a new technology of Deep Drawn Steel Presswork, manufacturing parts for the consumer, military and automotive industries. The company also began manufacturing pressed seamless steel elevator buckets, issuing its first catalogue in 1908 offering over 350 sizes. The Braime buildings, a prominent fixture on Hunslet Road, Leeds, with its attractive red brick and terracotta frontage remains to this day, the headquarters of the group. Nowadays it is often used as period location in film sets and television, including the popular BBC2 drama, Peaky Blinders.
During WW1, the company played an important role in armament provision, training women as skilled munitions workers. Post-war, the business continued to grow, supplying to car manufacturers Austin and Morris. In 1950, it obtained a full quote on the London Stock Exchange and expanded into a range of engineering components including brake chambers, material handling and other specialist products for the medical, petrochemical and utilities industries.
Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
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