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2005 - IMI completes the disposal of Polypipe
IMI completed the disposal of Polypipe, bringing to a close the portfolio repositioning initiated in 2001. IMI now consists of five strong businesses in clearly identified global niches; Severe Service, Fluid Power, Indoor Climate, Beverage Dispense and Merchandising.
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2003 - IMI HQ moves from its historical Witton site
In 2003 IMI moved from Witton to new international headquarters at Birmingham Business Park, conveniently located to the airport for fast connections.
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2001 – Martin Lamb announced as CEO
IMI appoints Martin Lamb as its new Chief Executive replacing Gary Allen, who moves to Chairman. Mr Lamb has considerable experience of the business having joined as a graduate trainee.
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1990s - Restructuring is taking place
The 1990s were characterised by restructuring. It was the beginning of a continuing process resulting in the Group’s present structures and business focus. Metal smelting, metal founding and construction related businesses were divested. Simultaneously, capacity and range in the current core businesses were expanded.
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1978 - IMI becomes a fully independent public company
In 1978 ICI sold its remaining interest and IMI became a fully independent public company. The boom years of the 1980s saw the Company move towards higher-margin finished products like pipes, tubes and fittings and in 1989 world-wide sales exceeded £1bn for the first time.
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1972 – Norgren joins IMI
IMI diversified into fluid power with the acquisition of the United States’ C.A. Norgren Co. in 1972.
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1966 - IMI receives a London Stock Exchange listing
IMI’s ambitions and distinct identity resulted in a Stock Exchange listing in 1966, with the parent ICI retaining the majority holding.
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1962 - Change in name
In 1962, the one hundredth anniversary of George Kynoch’s cap factory’s opening, the Company was named Imperial Metal Industries.
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1950s - Development of new products
After the years following the ending of the Second World War, the development of new products continued. In the 1950s one of the most significant achievements of the Company’s engineers and physicists was the perfecting of the process by which titanium could be produced on a commercial scale. The company continued to diversify and by the 1960s it was the most important contributor to ICI’s products.
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1927 - Nobel Industries and ICI
In 1927 Nobel Industries became one of the four founders of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and the Witton site became the head office and principal manufacturing base of ICI Metals Division. In the years leading up to the Second World War it was the UK’s largest supplier of copper and copper alloys and had significant business in heat exchangers and sporting ammunition.