Our History

Today, Tomkins plc is a global manufacturing group with revenue in excess of £3 billion and over 37,000 employees.

The Company was founded in 1925 as F.H. Tomkins Buckle Company, a small British manufacturer of buckles and fasteners.

In the 1980's and 1990's the Company embarked on a succession of acquisitions, which rapidly grew the revenue, product range and global reach. Major acquisitions included the US-based Gates Corporation in 1996, which signalled a move into the industrial and automotive markets and the Stant and Schrader businesses that further bolstered this division.

Recognising the need to strengthen and build upon its market leadership positions in its core engineering markets, Tomkins began a process of streamlining its activities by disposing of a number of businesses during the period 1998 -2001.

Since Jim Nicol’s appointment in 2002, action has been taken to build a more focused and leaner portfolio of businesses and this has seen a number of disposals and acquisitions being made. Examples include the acquisition of Mectrol, a polyurethane belt manufacturer, that has been integrated into the Gates business and given access to new markets and customers. In the Air Systems group there have been a number of strategic acquisitions that have provided strong product and customer synergies, and in the case of Milcor brought an important manufacturing capability in Asia.

Today, Tomkins’ businesses are focused on lean manufacturing, sharing of best practice, product innovation, geographic expansion and value creating bolt-on acquisitions.