Laird PLC
Encyclopedia
Laird plc is a leading British
-based electronics and technology business. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
. It launched its first ship in 1840. In 1903 it merged with Charles Cammell & Company Limited and, as Cammell Laird
, went on to build numerous ships for the Royal Navy
. In 1976 its transport division, which traded as Metro-Cammell, secured a major order to build mass transit railway carriages for the Hong Kong Mass Transit System
.
In the 1977 its shipbuilding
business was nationalised and in 1989 it disposed of its mass transit railway activities. In the 1980s it moved into security
products and in 1994 into electronics
. In 2000 it disposed of its automotive industry activities and more recently, in 2007, it disposed of its security
business. In 2008 it changed its name from Laird Group PLC to Laird PLC.
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 electronics and technology business. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
The company was founded by John Laird in 1824 as Birkenhead Ironworks in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. It launched its first ship in 1840. In 1903 it merged with Charles Cammell & Company Limited and, as Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
, went on to build numerous ships for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. In 1976 its transport division, which traded as Metro-Cammell, secured a major order to build mass transit railway carriages for the Hong Kong Mass Transit System
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
.
In the 1977 its shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
business was nationalised and in 1989 it disposed of its mass transit railway activities. In the 1980s it moved into security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
products and in 1994 into electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
. In 2000 it disposed of its automotive industry activities and more recently, in 2007, it disposed of its security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
business. In 2008 it changed its name from Laird Group PLC to Laird PLC.
Operations
The company's main operating business, Laird Technologies, has operations organised as follows:- Laird Handset Products
- Laird Performance Materials
- Laird Wireless Systems