This page was added in October 2022 and last updated in March 2023.
Ever since we launched this website we have been keen to acknowledge that Newall were responsible for setting up two subsidiary divisions that later became independent companies, with the first of them in particular becoming a major international supplier to the machine tool and other industries.
The companies in question were Machine Tool Electrics (MTE Ltd) and Machine Tool Hydraulics (MTH Ltd). It is believed that they both started life in Peterborough, but MTE were soon operating from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, while MTH established themselves in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth. Our knowledge of these companies and how they developed from the Newall Group into independent companies is extremely limited, so any feedback on this will be greatly welcomed.
M.T.E. Ltd.
The company became particularly well known for its range of relays, contactors and motor starters. In the 1960’s their UCO model contactors were very popular. [[Contactors are electro-mechanical devices that can switch single- or three-phase power to devices such as electric motors in response to a low-power electrical signal]]. The company had expanded considerably by then, and in 1969 it took over Contactor Switchgear Ltd of Wolverhampton. But by 1974 sales had declined and the company was itself taken over by Ransome Hoffmann Pollard Co. (the RHP ball bearing manufacturer). Details become a little hazy after then, but it is known that MTE became part of the Williams Holdings Group, who sold it to the B. Elliott group in 1989.
At this time, the B. Elliott group included the Newall Engineering Company in its portfolio, so for a while MTE and Newall Engineering were quite closely related once again. However, this didn’t last very long and in September 2000 Drives & Controls magazine reported that MTE had been bought from B. Elliott by the French controls and connectors group, Entrelec, to form the company Entrelec-MTE. Subsequently (date unknown) it appears that Entrelec and MTE were absorbed into the ABB group.
M.T.H. Ltd.
We know even less about the history of MTH; in fact it would be more accurate to say we knew nothing about it until Dr Mark Farwell got in touch in February 2023 to tell us he had very fond memories of working there as an apprentice in the 1970’s when Arthur Lavender was the Works Manager. He confirmed the address was 17 Aston Road (Waterlooville Industrial Estate), Waterlooville, Portsmouth. We would still like to learn a lot more about this company and its personnel, so please help us out here if you can!
We did find this manufacturer’s nameplate on a set of solenoid valves fitted to an old Vickers hydraulic power pack that once powered a Newall machine:
MTH Nameplate