Britax
Encyclopedia
Britax is a UK
-based manufacturer of automotive safety equipment.
. During the 1970s
, Britax began making childcare safety products, primarily child safety seat
s and stroller
s.
, a former motorcycle company, bought Britax Group for £880,000 in March 1963. It diversified into aircraft interiors and seating
, car mirror
s and car seating. Its main competitor in the 1960s was Irvin Air Chute, who previously were Britain's main manufacturer and designer of parachutes.
In 1960, the BSI
introduced a kite-mark
BS 3254 for car seats, and Britax was one of the first to comply to the standard. In 1960, one of their seatbelts saved Donald Campbell
when he crashed at 400mph. Its belts were made from Terylene
(now known as PET) made by ICI. Also in 1960 it bought the Cyclemaster motorcycle company in Byfleet.
In June 1963 it introduced a new type of seat belt
that allowed the belt to move but locked in rapid deceleration, as all belts are now today, known as inertia reel, and which it called an 'automatic belt'. In the mid-1960s, Britax was based on Chertsey Road in Byfleet
. In June 1966, the parent company, Excelsior Motor, bought Notek, a car light manufacturer.
, although Britax had over 80% of the UK market. In July 1968, all new cars had to have front passenger seat belts. However, it was not legal to always use them.
In January 1970 it bought Hans Kolb of Munich, Germany. The chairman was Oscar Proctor. In December 1971, it was bought by Griffiths Bentley of Staffordshire for £4.27m. Stephen Proctor became managing director of Griffiths Bentley.
manufacturer. On 3 December 1982, the Duke of Edinburgh
visited Britax's factory in Chichester
. The Britax brand also applied to sun-roofs. In March 1995, LA Rumbold the Surrey-based aircraft interiors company owned by BSG International, won a contract to manufacture all toilet modules for Boeing 737
s.
to make car lights for the European car market. In the late 1990s it was world leader in car safety seats and aircraft interiors.
It bought Buderus Sell, a German aircraft seat manufacturer in June 1997 for £73m. In June 1998 it bought Public Safety Equipment of America, which made fire engine sirens, for £75m. Later in August 1998, it sold its Autolease vehicle leasing company to Standard Chartered
for £83m. In April 2000, it bought Bellingham, an American aircraft interiors company, from Hexcel
for £73m. It sold its car mirrors division to Reitter & Schefenacker of Germany for £200m.
, a private equity company. In Nov 2010 Carlyle sold Britax Childcare, to Nordic Capital
, for a reported £450m (€526.3m).
The European headquarters of Britax Römer Kindersicherheit GmbH is in Ulm
in southern Germany. The British headquarters are near junction 11 of the M25
near the A320 roundabout in Longcross near Chertsey
, having previously been situated in Andover, when known as Britax Excelsior.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based manufacturer of automotive safety equipment.
History
It began making automotive safety equipment and accessories in 1938, and to import car and motorcycle accessoriesMotorcycle accessories
Motorcycle accessories are features and accessories selected by a motorcycle owner to enhance safety, performance, or comfort, and may include anything from mobile electronics to sidecars and trailers...
. During the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, Britax began making childcare safety products, primarily child safety seat
Child safety seat
Child safety seats are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions. Automobile manufacturers may integrate child safety seats directly into their vehicle's design...
s and stroller
Stroller
Stroller may refer to:*A form of baby transport*Stroller , men's daytime semiformal wear*Stroller , showjumping champion...
s.
Excelsior Motor Company
Excelsior Motor CompanyExcelsior Motor Company
Excelsior, based in Coventry, was a British bicycle, motorcycle and car maker. They were Britain’s first motorcycle manufacturer, starting production of their own ‘motor-bicycle’ in 1896...
, a former motorcycle company, bought Britax Group for £880,000 in March 1963. It diversified into aircraft interiors and seating
Airline seat
An airline seat is a chair on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage...
, car mirror
Rear-view mirror
A rear-view mirror is a mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's backlight ....
s and car seating. Its main competitor in the 1960s was Irvin Air Chute, who previously were Britain's main manufacturer and designer of parachutes.
In 1960, the BSI
BSI Group
BSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Standards Institution , is a multinational business services provider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.- History :...
introduced a kite-mark
British Standards
British Standards are the standards produced by BSI Group which is incorporated under a Royal Charter...
BS 3254 for car seats, and Britax was one of the first to comply to the standard. In 1960, one of their seatbelts saved Donald Campbell
Donald Campbell
Donald Malcolm Campbell, CBE was a British speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s...
when he crashed at 400mph. Its belts were made from Terylene
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...
(now known as PET) made by ICI. Also in 1960 it bought the Cyclemaster motorcycle company in Byfleet.
In June 1963 it introduced a new type of seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
that allowed the belt to move but locked in rapid deceleration, as all belts are now today, known as inertia reel, and which it called an 'automatic belt'. In the mid-1960s, Britax was based on Chertsey Road in Byfleet
Byfleet
Byfleet is an inland island village forming a suburb of Woking in Surrey, England. It is in the east of the borough between the River Wey and the River Mole, and is within the M25 motorway....
. In June 1966, the parent company, Excelsior Motor, bought Notek, a car light manufacturer.
Britax-Excelsior
In January 1968, due to the prominence of the Britax brand, the parent company became known as Britax-Excelsior. At this time, their main competitor was Kangol MagnetKangol
Kangol is a British clothing company famous for its headwear.Founded in Cleator, Cumbria, England in 1938 by Jaques Spreiregen, Kangol produced hats for workers, golfers, and especially soldiers...
, although Britax had over 80% of the UK market. In July 1968, all new cars had to have front passenger seat belts. However, it was not legal to always use them.
In January 1970 it bought Hans Kolb of Munich, Germany. The chairman was Oscar Proctor. In December 1971, it was bought by Griffiths Bentley of Staffordshire for £4.27m. Stephen Proctor became managing director of Griffiths Bentley.
BSG International
Griffiths Bentley was bought by the Bristol Street Group to become BSG International. In February 1978, this company bought Weathershields, a Birmingham sunroofSunroof
An automotive sunroof is a fixed or operable opening in an automobile roof which allows light and/or fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs may be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styles...
manufacturer. On 3 December 1982, the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
visited Britax's factory in Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. The Britax brand also applied to sun-roofs. In March 1995, LA Rumbold the Surrey-based aircraft interiors company owned by BSG International, won a contract to manufacture all toilet modules for Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s.
Britax International
It was known as BSG International until May 1997, becoming Britax International. The chief executive was Richard Marton from the 1990s until November 2000, replaced by Bernard Brogan. In May 1996, it set up a joint venture with Koito IndustriesKoito Industries
is a manufacturer of mechanical components such as railway equipment, headlamps, and airline seats. It is a subsidiary of Koito Manufacturing. The company has its headquarters in Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.-2009–2010 issues with airline seats:...
to make car lights for the European car market. In the late 1990s it was world leader in car safety seats and aircraft interiors.
It bought Buderus Sell, a German aircraft seat manufacturer in June 1997 for £73m. In June 1998 it bought Public Safety Equipment of America, which made fire engine sirens, for £75m. Later in August 1998, it sold its Autolease vehicle leasing company to Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
for £83m. In April 2000, it bought Bellingham, an American aircraft interiors company, from Hexcel
Hexcel
Hexcel is a materials company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut that manufactures advanced composite materials and structural parts...
for £73m. It sold its car mirrors division to Reitter & Schefenacker of Germany for £200m.
Management buyout
In July 2001 it underwent a £441m management buyout. In September 2005, Britax International sold its Britax Childcare division for £230m to Carlyle GroupCarlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is an American-based global asset management firm, specializing in private equity, based in Washington, D.C. The Carlyle Group operates in four business areas: corporate private equity, real assets, market strategies and fund-of-funds, through its AlpInvest subsidiary...
, a private equity company. In Nov 2010 Carlyle sold Britax Childcare, to Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital is a private equity investment firm focusing on leveraged buyout transactions primarily in the Nordic region . Nordic invests across a broad array of industries and will invest in turnaround and growth capital transactions.Nordic is based in Stockholm, Sweden and was founded in 1989...
, for a reported £450m (€526.3m).
Structure
In addition to its headquarters in the UK, Britax has divisions based in:- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Britax Childcare, Melbourne - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
- Britax Pohjolan Lapset, Helsinki - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Britax Puériculture, Paris - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- Britax Römer, Ulm - Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
- Britax Childcare, Kowloon BayKowloon BayKowloon Bay is a bay located at the east of the Kowloon Peninsula and north of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the eastern portion of Victoria Harbour, between Hung Hom and Lei Yue Mun... - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- Britax Childcare, GlenfieldGlenfield, New ZealandGlenfield is a suburb of North Shore, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, nine kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre.... - SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- Britax Nordiska Barn, Upplands VäsbyUpplands VäsbyUpplands Väsby is a bimunicipal locality and the seat of Upplands Väsby Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 35,977 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:... - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Britax Child Safety, Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
The European headquarters of Britax Römer Kindersicherheit GmbH is in Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
in southern Germany. The British headquarters are near junction 11 of the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
near the A320 roundabout in Longcross near Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
, having previously been situated in Andover, when known as Britax Excelsior.