The KME Yorkshire History

The British Yorkshire Copper Tube company has been part of the KME Group since 2002

1864: Foundation of Broughton Copper Co.
1889: Elmore’s Patent Copper Depositing Company, Leeds formed
1902: Elmore and its successors become Leeds Copper Works (and later Yorkshire Copper Works)
1934: ICI Metals purchases Broughton Copper Co., Salford, Manchester
1934: Yorkshire Copper Works introduces the ‘Yorkshire’ capillary fitting for plumbing
1948: ICI selects Kirkby, Liverpool as the site for a new copper tube plant and work begins
1950: First tubes produced
1954/5: Broughton plant closed
1955: Kirkby plant officially opened
1958: Yorkshire Imperial Metals formed, jointly owned by ICI Metals Division and Yorkshire Copper Works, based in Leeds. Kirkby works becomes part of this company.

1964: Kirkby factory extended with the construction of ‘C’Bay
1968: YIM becomes wholly owned by Imperial Metal Industries Ltd (new company formed from ICI Metals)
1971: First “spinner” drawing machines installed in ‘C’Bay
1977: IMI floated off from ICI as a separate plc
1981/2: Installation of new 5000T press
1983: Yorkshire Copper Tube Ltd set up as a separate company with its own directors, sales and administration. Includes Barrhead, Scotland re-drawing tube factory, which had been part of Yorkshire Copper Works before 1958
1986: Major investment programme begins with complete re-equipment of ‘B’ Bay with state-of-the-art Schumag and “spinner” drawing machines and automated handling equipment
1991: Programme continues with work in ‘A’Bay, with the aim of supplying growing export markets round the world
1992: Closure of Barrhead copper tube works and all production is now concentrated at Kirkby
1993: Official opening of re-equipped Kirkby factory
2002: Ownership of Yorkshire Copper Tube Ltd transferred from IMI to KM Europa Metal
2003-2008: Integration of Yorkshire Copper Tube Ltd into KME Group, with ongoing investment programmes and efficiency improvements. Name changed to KME Yorkshire Ltd

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All the phases of KME development are described in the section on the Group's History.