On the 4th January 2013, Ritherdon celebrated being incorporated as a Limited company for 100-years.
Although founded in 1895 by Percy Ritherdon, Ritherdon & Co became Ritherdon & Co Limited by registering as company number 126330 with Companies House in January 1913. 100-years down the line and Ritherdon remains a family-run business, with original founder Percy Ritherdon’s great-grandson, Ben Ritherdon, now heading the company as Managing Director.
Ritherdon has witnessed two World Wars, the Great Depression and the most recent global recession, yet four generations of the resilient Ritherdon family have managed to guide the company through some of the most uncertain and testing periods of modern history.
The key to Ritherdon’s longevity may well be its ability to adapt, be flexible and move with the zeitgeist. Over the years, Ritherdon has not been afraid to change direction and enter new industries, sectors and markets – producing a vast array of products over the past 100-years.
When the company was founded by Percy Ritherdon in 1895, Ritherdon produced magic tricks for professional magicians. To ensure optimum quality and precise fabrication for these magic tricks, Percy worked closely with Chung Ling Soo – an American-born magician who rose to prominence in the UK and Europe during the late 19th and early 20th Century.
It wasn’t until after the First World War that Ritherdon began to move towards what the company is renowned for today – sheet metal work. The company went on to produce electrical enclosures for Naval Warships during the Second World War and during the 50’s and 60’s supplied the nuclear industry with electrical enclosures for control panels.
100-years later and Ritherdon still continue to produce a variety of products for a variety of industries; from meter boxes and meter box repair units for the Housing industry, to passively safe road products, feeder pillars and electrical enclosures for the Highways industry.
To mark our 100-years of Incorporation, Ritherdon & Co were awarded a Centenary Certificate by Companies House to commemorate our Centenary year. The award was unexpected but well-received by Ritherdon & Co.’s Managing Director, Ben Ritherdon.
He said of the milestone and Centenary certificate: “It was a pleasant surprise to receive the 100-year achievement certificate from Companies House – a bit like getting your telegram from the Queen I imagine! However, it does make me very happy to think of all the people we must have employed and all the different products we have made since Percy Ritherdon founded the company all those years ago.”
For further information on Ritherdon & Company, our history, or any Ritherdon product you can visit our website. Alternatively, you can contact us. For the latest Ritherdon news, offers and updates you can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
