The Early Years - Part 1

The Avon story began over a century ago in Wiltshire when Messrs E G Browne and J C Margetson acquired a small, near derelict cloth mill, known as Avon Mill, on the banks of the River Avon at Limpley Stoke in 1885. Mr Browne was the financial partner and Mr Margetson provided a practical knowledge of india rubber manufacture combined with elementary chemistry, having been an employee of the Bristol Wagon Co.

The previous owners of the mill, Mr Giles Holbrow and his son, Willie, had originally been timber merchants. Some years earlier, they had bought Limpley Stoke Mill with the intention of using it as a flour mill, having tired of the timber business. However, in 1875 they had switched to the more lucrative trade of manufacturing articles from rubber. Therefore, when the mill was purchased, it was already an established rubber manufacturing business and came equipped with an engine, a boiler, two 60-inch calenders, two mixing machines, three heaters and four presses. The workforce consisted of 7 men, supervised by Willie Holbrow, who stayed on as Factory Manager.

1885 was also the year in which Gottleib Daimler invented the internal combustion engine, which in the following year powered the first motor vehicle. The event was to have a major effect on the development of both Avon and the world's rubber industry.

Avon's earliest orders were obtained from the War Office, the India Office, railway companies, wagon works and collieries. The business proved so successful that soon additional space was needed, so in 1889 the partners bought another derelict cloth mill and land, this time at Melksham (on the banks of the same River Avon).

The Melksham site became the Company's Corporate Headquarters and remained so for over 100 years. By 1890 the entire business had been moved to Melksham and a decision was taken to form a limited company to be named "The Avon India Rubber Company Limited". The prospectus included a message that "the adoption of India Rubber appliances in all branches of trade is increasing daily … and there is every reason to believe that the company will become even more financially successful in the future".

The public company began business on 1st October 1890. By then, the workforce had swelled to 20 men and 4 women. The men worked a 12-hour shift from 6:00 am and the women an hour less from 7:00 am. Solid tyres were made in the new premises and other major products included conveyor belting and rubber components for railways such as springs, buffers, conveyor belting and vacuum brake pipes. Sales for the first year amounted to £15,265 and wages to £1,065. The profit was £496 18s 4d.

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