History
BTR started in 1924, when the B.F.Goodrich Company of the USA formed a UK subsidiary British Goodrich Rubber Co. Ltd. In 1934 Goodrich sold most of its shares in the company, which changed its name to the British Tyre & Rubber Co. Ltd. In 1956 the company changed its name to BTR Limited, when it ceased production of tyres.
The Company was dominated by Sir Owen Green from 1967 to 1993 first as Managing Director (until 1986) and then as Chairman. By 1982 BTR had acquired a large number of companies in the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Germany. In 1985 BTR acquired Dunlop Holdings plc. The Dunlop road tyre business was immediately sold to Sumitomo Rubber Industries. In late 1985, BTR launched a hostile take-over bid for Pilkington, a leading manufacturer of high quality glass, with operations worldwide. After a successful defensive campaign by Pilkington, BTR was forced to withdraw its offer in early 1986.
In 1992, Hawker Siddeley Group Plc was acquired by BTR plc for £1.5bn.
BTR also had an industrial products operation in Australia known as Nylex which it secured complete control of in 1995.
Between 1996 and 1998, BTR sold the remaining Dunlop companies.
In 1999 BTR merged with Siebe to form BTR Siebe plc, which was renamed Invensys plc.
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