Avon Rubber

Avon Rubber p.l.c. is a manufacturer of high technology rubber-based products for a number of manufacturing sectors. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. Its largest divisions, namely Avon Protection Systems and Milk-Rite produce equipment and components for the armed forces, first response emergency services and the dairy/agricultural sectors, amongst several others.

Its corporate headquarters are located 3 km (2 miles) south of Melksham in Wiltshire, UK at the modern Hampton Park West development. Avon's research and design expertise is supported by and locations throughout USA.

Avon's varied product portfolio includes CNBR (chemical, nuclear, biological & radiological) battlefield respirators, emergency response respirators, dairy milking liners, speed humps, aircraft chocks and tiling for military submarines.

History

In 1885 Messrs E G Browne and J C Margetson acquired a cloth mill, known as Avon Mill, on the banks of the River Avon at Limpley Stoke. The previous owners of the mill had originally been timber merchants, but had later diversified into the production of rubber goods.

By 1890 the business had transferred to premises in Melksham in Wiltshire. Products at this time included solid tyres, conveyor belts and components for railways. By 1900 pneumatic tyres for bicycles were being produced, and by 1906 the first car tyres were advertised. In 1915 the company acquired Greenland Mill in Bradford on Avon (Wiltshire). In 1933 the company...
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