2008-09-23
The granddaughter of MEM founder Walter L Barber returned to the Eaton factory and offices in Reddings Lane Birmingham to open a Centenary display tracing the history of MEM. The Midland Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd. was registered in September 1908 with a workshop behind domestic premises less than 3 miles from the present factory
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| Peter Roberts, longest-serving MEM employee, with Sally Bromwich |
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The granddaughter and great grandsons of a Birmingham entrepreneur, Walter L Barber, returned to Tyseley on Friday September 12 to open an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the company he founded in 1908.
The Midland Electric Manufacturing Company Limited (MEM) was registered in September 1908 with a capital of £800.00. MEM has been a key player in the UK electrical industry throughout the last century. It has been based at the present site in Reddings Lane, Tyseley for more than 70 years and has been a major employer in the area. Today it is part of the power management company, Eaton, which employs 81,000 people worldwide.
Opening the MEM History Room in Reddings Lane, Sally Bromwich, granddaughter of Walter Barber said “It is hard to believe that this, now-mighty worldwide company, was conceived with humble beginnings by my grandfather behind domestic premises … Walter Leonard Barber set up his office in the front bedroom of a house not far from here.” Mrs Bromwich was accompanied by her twin sons, Thomas and Edward Bromwich
Mrs Bromwich’s Father, Walter John Barber (now 96) also worked for MEM and eventually became Managing Director. She recalled “many happy childhood memories of this factory in Reddings Lane” including “the family sports days which involved competing with my younger sister in the three-legged race, the egg and spoon race and the sack race.”
Appropriately, on Saturday September 13 employees were invited to a Family Fun Day at Drayton Manor Theme Park. More than 1,000 employees and family members attended.
Mrs Bromwich recalled how, over 40 years ago, her father took the family around the world to visit distributors and manufacturing facilities. Mr Barber, who lives in Jersey, has also shown a lively interest in the Centenary celebrations although he was not fit enough to attend.
Another former Managing Director, Tom Forsyth (1980-84) was present at the opening of the MEM History Room as were a number of long-serving employees including Sales Engineer, Peter Roberts (45 years) and Steven Harris in the Design office (43 years.) Frequently more than one member of a local family has worked for MEM. The present UK Projects Manager, Stephen Smith, overlapped with his father and grandfather for a brief period in the mid 1970s.
The story of MEM is closely linked with the history of electricity in homes, offices and factories in the UK and overseas. Electric lighting was just becoming a commercial reality in 1908 when Walter Barber founded MEM. The Company manufactured switchgear and fusegear to control the supply of electricity in homes, offices and factories. Today it is one of the few companies offering a complete range of electrical installation equipment, from the main switchboard to the socket-outlet for every type of building. It was a major supplier to London’s Canary Wharf development and Heathrow Terminal 5.
To celebrate the Centenary, in addition to the Family Fun Day, all employees were given a commemorative book tracing the history of MEM in words and pictures.
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Source: Word Service |
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