Hordern-Richmond Aircraft Ltd was registered as a private company on 29 April 1937 with a nominal capital of £10,000 in 10,000 shares of £1. The objects were to carry on the business of manufacturers of and dealers in aircraft and aeronautical equipment. Frederick Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond

Frederick Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond

Frederick Charles Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond, 9th Duke of Lennox, 4th Duke of Gordon was a British peer, engineer, racing driver and motor racing promoter....

 with Edmund Hordern (former test pilot of Heston Aircraft Company

Heston Aircraft Company

Heston Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based at Heston Aerodrome, Middlesex, England.Starting in 1934 the company produced a number of aircraft designs beginning with the Heston Phoenix and the Hordern-Richmond Autoplane. During the Second World War the company transitioned to...

 Ltd.) originally formed the company with the intention of producing aircraft of their own design, specifically the Hordern-Richmond Autoplane

Hordern-Richmond Autoplane

The Hordern-Richmond Autoplane was a 1930s British twin-engined two-seat cabin touring monoplane designed by Edmund Hordern, and constructed by Heston Aircraft Company Ltd....

, based at Denham Aerodrome

Denham Aerodrome

Denham Aerodrome is an airfield located east of Gerrards Cross, near Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. It lies beneath London's Class A airspace. VFR entry/exit points are at Maple Cross and St Giles Church. Entry lanes and circuit height are at AGL...

. As the time did not appear appropriate, effort was concentrated on the production of wooden airscrews, with the intention of using plastics and compressed woods for the same purpose at a later date. The company employed A.A.D. Lang, who had long experience of airscrew production and Tony Fletcher as chief designer. Hordern-Richmond merged with Lang Propellers of Weybridge, and a new factory was built at Haddenham

Haddenham, Buckinghamshire

Haddenham is a large village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. Its estimated population in 2011 is 8,385 It is about south-west of Aylesbury and north-east of Thame.-History:...

, near Thame, Buckinghamshire.

The Board and Management as constituted was: Chairman, The Duke of Richmond and Gordon; Managing Director, E. G. Hordern; Directors, A. A. D. Lang, H. S. K. Civil-Davies, C. Campbell, A. S. Butler (of De Havilland Aircraft), and C. D. Harrison; Chief Designer, A. A. Fletcher; Works Manager, A. J. Stevens; Secretary, W. J. Drummond.

The company's principal business was the development and production of airscrews using its Hydulignum laminated wood process to form the propeller blades. This product is still used today by the Permali group of companies.

Permali and Hordern-Richmond Merger

In 1954 Permali, Ltd. and Hordern-Richmond, Ltd. announced the merger of the two companies. Both companies were manufacturers of densified wood laminates and Bakelized products, Permali under the trade names "Permali" and "Dialam."
Hordern-Richmond were manufacturers of "Hydulignum" wood laminates and other products. In 1956 a new Permali factory at Gloucester was opened. This factory brought together the various manufacturing processes within the Permali group, which includes Hordern-Richmond, Ltd., Hydulignum-Jabroc (Tools), Ltd., and Jabroc, Ltd., under the trade names "Permali," "Permawood," "Hydulignum" and "Jabroc," together with "Dialam" Bakelized paper bushings and "Permaglass" glass-fibre laminates.