Keller Group plc ( LSE : KLR ) is a geotechnical engineering company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index . The company is the world's largest geotechnical specialist contractor.
75-492: The company was established in the 1950s as the ground engineering division of GKN plc . In 1960, it expanded into a stand-alone piling and ground improvement company and, in 1975, it acquired the German company Johann Keller and took on that name. In 1984, Keller bought Hayward Baker Inc., a US ground engineering business. In 1990, it was the subject of a management buy-out from GKN plc supported by Candover . During May 1994,
150-416: A Radburn style of planned community. Redditch is one of the few areas of the country where the three-tier system of first, middle and high schools still exists. Students attend first school from the age of four, middle school from the age of nine and high school at the age of 13. Other areas of Worcestershire adopted this system at the same time as Redditch (in the 1970s), but many have reverted to
225-414: A hot and cold rolled strip business with a downline in sintered products, reinforcement steels, wire fasteners and garage equipment. In 1973, GKN Steel exchanged the remaining assets at Dowlais along with £30 million in cash to the nationalised British Steel Corporation , in return for the previously nationalised Brymbo Steelworks . After acquiring steel stockholding competitor Miles Druce and Co, by 1974,
300-480: A large overspill from the industrially expanding Birmingham. Redditch was built as a "flagship" town using new methods and new town planning: all the main roads (mostly new dual carriageways as well as a ring road for the town centre) were banked to reduce noise to the new housing estates, and the whole of Redditch was landscaped. Historically , much of present-day Redditch was located within Warwickshire , but it
375-625: A repeated butt of his jokes, for example over the difficulty of escaping the Redditch ring road. There is a listed theatre in Redditch called the Palace Theatre . Kingfisher Shopping Centre was opened in 1976 by the then Prime Minister James Callaghan and now forms the town's primary retail centre. The centre has over 1,100,000 square feet (100,000 m ) of retail space, with stores including Primark , Next , Boots UK , H&M , The Perfume Shop and Warren James Jewellers . It
450-578: A subsidiary named J. W. Garrington, which specialised in forgings; the forgings produced at the Garrington Darlaston plant, later supplemented by a large plant at Bromsgrove , enabled GKN to become a major supplier of crankshafts , connecting rods, half-shafts and numerous smaller forged components to the UK auto-industry, which had a period of massive expansion during the interwar period and beyond. Another company, eventually acquired by GKN,
525-727: A tendency to disintegrate after hitting roadside kerbs, Sankey developed a pioneering pressed-steel wheel. Production started in 1908, with customers including Austin Motor Company and, later, William Morris . In addition to Sankey's original factory at Bilston , a new plant was established near Wellington, Shropshire , which was devoted to wheel production and known as GKN Sankey. Meanwhile, by 1914, GKN's customers for sheet-steel vehicle bodies had also come to include Austin, along with Daimler , Humber , Rover , Star and Argyll . After John Lysaght acquired Joseph Sankey and Sons Ltd, GKN purchased both companies, in 1920. By
600-408: A time when the domestic industry was seen to be stumbling, in response to bewildering "Government interference and fiscal short-sightedness", with British new car registrations in the first four months of 1969 a massive 33% down on the corresponding period of the previous year. As a result of the large number of mergers, Abram Games was commissioned to develop a new corporate identity in 1969 when
675-666: A £8.1 billion deal. The company's name is the initials of three early figures in its history: John Guest , Arthur Keen , and Joseph Henry Nettlefold . All three were key figures in the field of iron and steel during the Industrial Revolution . Ivor Guest sold the Dowlais Iron Company in Wales to Arthur Keen and Windsor Richards of Birmingham's Patent Nut and Bolt Company in June 1900. They combined
750-498: Is a town and non-metropolitan district with borough status in Worcestershire , England. It is located south of Birmingham , east of Bromsgrove , northwest of Alcester and northeast of Worcester . In 2021 the town had a population of 81,637 and the district had a population of 87,037. In the 19th century, it became a centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry . 90% of the world's needles were manufactured in
825-459: Is based at Redditch Town Hall on Walter Stranz Square, which was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1982. The borough contains just one civil parish at Feckenham , in the more rural south-western part of the borough. The rest of the borough is an unparished area . The parliamentary constituency of Redditch is represented by Chris Bloore of the Labour Party , elected at
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#1732787872075900-864: Is in central Redditch; the other three are in Bromsgrove, Worcester and Malvern. The closest university is the University of Birmingham , 12.5 miles (20 km) to the north. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Hereford and Worcester , Heart West Midlands , Radio Wyvern , Capital Mid-Counties , Greatest Hits Radio Midlands , Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire and Smooth West Midlands . Redditch's local newspapers are The Redditch Standard and The Redditch Advertiser . Since June 2013,
975-459: Is now in its entirety administered as a part of Worcestershire. By the 21st century, needle-making and other traditional industries had been replaced by modern light industry and services, with Redditch also functioning as a dormitory town for Birmingham. The automotive retailer Halfords and engineering company GKN both have their headquarters in Redditch. Manufacturer of precious metal contacts, Samuel Taylor Ltd, has manufacturing plants within
1050-634: Is occasionally noted for its confusing road system dominated by a system of dual carriageways built when it became a New Town , including the only cloverleaf interchange in England at the junction of the A441 and the Bromsgrove-bound A448 . The system is designed to allow rapid flow of large volumes of traffic around the various districts and into the town centre, whilst keeping fast moving vehicles separated from residential streets. Redditch
1125-664: Is one of the largest covered shopping centres in the United Kingdom. In 2007, a cinema opened on the new upper floor and is now owned by Vue Cinemas . Redditch has 900 acres (3.6 km ) of public open space in Arrow Valley Country Park . This incorporates the 30-acre (120,000 m ) Arrow Valley Lake, fed by the River Arrow . The park incorporates a Local Nature Reserve, Proctor's Barn Meadow. The Arrow Valley Countryside centre, opened in 2000 in
1200-637: Is supported by its group head office: The company has been involved in laying foundations for complex projects including High Speed 2 in the UK and the Spirit Tower in Australia. GKN plc GKN Ltd is a British multinational automotive and aerospace components business headquartered in Redditch , England. It was a long-running business known for many decades as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds . It can trace its origins back to 1759 and
1275-544: Is the southern terminus of the Cross-City Line and provides a regular train service via Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks and Lichfield . Redditch railway station was first opened as the terminus of the Redditch Railway on 19 September 1859, alongside what is now Clive Road. This first station stayed until 4 May 1868 when the last section from Alcester to Redditch of the Redditch and Evesham Railway
1350-476: Is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties, and is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent further convergence between the towns surrounding the West Midlands conurbations of Birmingham and Coventry, protect the identity of outlying communities, encourage brownfield reuse and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within
1425-772: The 2024 general election . Redditch is south of the West Midlands urban area. It is north of Evesham on the A435 , which skirts it to the east. The main access routes are the A441 via junction 2 of the M42 Motorway , the A435 from junction 3 of the M42 and the A448 via junctions 4 or 5 of the M5 . The Roman Road known as Icknield Street is prominent, running north to south through
1500-741: The Honda Aircraft Company picked GKN to produce the whole composite fuselage of its Honda HA-420 HondaJet at the latter's facility in Alabama . In late 2012, it opened a new composite manufacturing facility in Mexicali , Mexico . During the same year, GKN was contracted to provide fuselage components for the Bell 525 Relentless helicopter. During January 2018, Melrose Industries announced plans to purchase GKN and its restructuring thereafter; that same month, GKN's management rejected
1575-547: The vertical integration fashionable at the time embracing activities from coal and ore extraction, and iron and steel making to manufacturing finished goods. After the First World War , it became apparent that Britain was likely to follow France and the United States in developing a large scale automotive industry. During 1919, GKN acquired another fastener manufacturer, F. W. Cotterill Ltd. Cotterill owned
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#17327878720751650-435: The "Goat Mill", the world's most powerful rolling mill . By the mid-1860s, Clark's reforms had borne fruit in renewed profitability . Clark delegated day-to-day management to Menelaus, his trusteeship terminating in 1864 when ownership passed to Sir Ivor Guest . Clark continued to direct policy, building a new plant at the docks at Cardiff and vetoing a joint-stock company . He formally retired in 1897. On 9 July 1900,
1725-536: The 1960s, GKN was manufacturing many other kinds of automotive components, including chassis for the Triumph Herald and its derivatives. The company also developed the GKN FV432 armoured personnel carrier. By 1969, the highly-automated GKN Wheels Wellington plant was producing over 5½ million wheels per year, with a maximum rate of approximately 30,000 units per day. The postwar government nationalised
1800-434: The 1990s, GKN completed a series of large acquisitions and industrial consolidations. During 1994, the firm acquired the helicopter manufacturing business of Westland Aircraft . In 1998, GKN's armoured vehicle business was sold to Alvis plc ; this division was subsequently incorporated into Alvis Vickers Ltd . During November 1995, associate Dana Corporation purchased GKN's axle group; at that time, GKN held 34% of
1875-579: The 2010s, there was strong demand for GKN's aerostructures; earlier, the company had secured manufacturing contracts to produce elements of the Boeing 787 , Airbus A350 XWB , Airbus A400M Atlas , and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II , in addition to numerous other aircraft. During early 2011, it was announced that GKN and EADS would cooperate on developing radical additive layer manufacturing technology for aerospace purposes. That same year,
1950-567: The B4090 Salt Way road are 'washed over' by the designation. The green belt was first drawn up under Worcestershire County Council , and the size in the borough in 2017 amounted to some 1,800 hectares (18 km ; 6.9 sq mi). The M42 motorway is a short drive away and it is linked by dual carriageways and A-class roads to surrounding towns such as Bromsgrove and Evesham . There are regular bus services to Studley, Bromsgrove, Catshill and Birmingham . The railway station
2025-549: The Country Park, has a lakeside café, gift shop and an interactive exhibition. The lake is also used for water sports. There are four waymarked trails for walking and cycling around the lake and through the Country Park. There is a skate park in the south of the park with walks along the river Arrow through the Country Park to the Forge Mill Museum in the north. There are interactive events and family activities at
2100-697: The Countryside Centre and a comprehensive children's play area. Redditch was the home of the Royal Enfield motorcycle. This is where the main factory of the original company was located and the business continued manufacturing until the 1960s, the last model being the Interceptor . The Redditch factory was closed in 1967 and production was moved to the Bradford on Avon factory, which closed in 1970, ending English Enfield manufacturing. In
2175-539: The Dowlais Iron Company and Arthur Keen 's Patent Nut and Bolt Company merged to form Guest, Keen & Co. Ltd . Nettlefolds Limited , a leading manufacturer of fasteners, established in Smethwick , West Midlands in 1854, was acquired in 1902, leading to the change of name to Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds (GKN). In 1920 John Lysaght and Co. was acquired. Steel production remained at
2250-764: The UK Government allowed the transaction to proceed in April 2018; Melrose agreed to comply with several national security measures. Since the takeover by Melrose plc, the GKN legacy group of businesses were decentralised in a move toward maximizing profitable sales in favour of focusing on pure growth of sales numbers. By the end of 2019, GKN had been restructured into three core divisions: GKN Aerospace, GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy. On 9 July 2021, 422 workers of GKN's factory in Florence , Italy were notified that
2325-401: The aerospace, automotive and industrial services markets. In 1994, GKN purchased Westland Aircraft . The company later organised a joint venture of Westland's helicopter interests with Agusta to form AgustaWestland and its sale to Italian defense firm Finmeccanica . During November 1995, Dana Corporation purchased GKN's axle group; the two firms continued to operate joint ventures in
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2400-604: The automotive field in 1966 GKN bought BRD's much larger competitor, Birfield Ltd, which held the great bulk of the British market for CVJs, constant velocity joints, and was a company that since 1938 had incorporated both the Sheffield based Laycock Engineering later best known as a postwar overdrive manufacturer, and Hardy Spicer Limited of Birmingham , England, also a manufacturer of constant-velocity joints . Historically, such joints had few applications, even following
2475-536: The birth of the Industrial Revolution . In 2018 GKN plc was acquired by Melrose Industries plc in a hostile takeover. Melrose divested GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy in 2023 and listed them as Dowlais Group on the London Stock Exchange. GKN Aerospace continues to be owned by Melrose plc. Throughout the majority of the twentieth century, though steel production remained the core of GKN it branched into tooling and component manufacturing. It
2550-456: The bus station in the town centre, a postcard of which was voted Britain's most boring postcard in a competition run by the photographer Martin Parr . The bus station was rebuilt as part of the 2002 shopping centre expansion. Some areas of Redditch have dedicated bus routes; however, there have been issues with safety on these routes and three children have died over the past 15 years. Redditch
2625-571: The company fired-up the single remaining blast furnace at Dowlais. During the Second World War , all of the sites were heavily bombed by Nazi Germany 's Luftwaffe , and the required investment meant that all of these assets were nationalised as part of the Iron and Steel Act 1949, resultantly becoming part of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain . GKN were still highly reliant on
2700-619: The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange for the first time; three months later, it was awarded a £7.5 million contract for a German customer; at the time, it was the company's largest single order. In early 1995, Keller Group announced it has recorded £9.4 million in pre-tax profits, a 33 percent rise over the previous year; this was in part attributed to deals made in the North American market. In 1997, Keller Group's fiscal performance dipped somewhat, which
2775-429: The company was in possession of a full integrated steel production and manufacturing business. By the late 1980s, in the face of extensive competition from Japanese firms in both the axle and constant velocity joint business, GKN Steel decided to start selling off its steel and fasteners businesses. By 1991, the firm had disposed of all of the assets within these two business lines. GKN Steel's withdrawal coincidence with
2850-463: The core of the company, but under increasing profit margin pressure. In 1930, the company combined its steel production business with that of rival Baldwins to form Guest Keen Baldwins , which now held: In 1935, the company demolished the Cardiff works to construct a new production facility on the same site, funded by an issue of debentures . Due to a resultant global shortage of pig iron, in 1937,
2925-399: The death of founder Tony Vandervell in 1967, GKN acquired the lucrative Maidenhead -based Vandervell bearing manufacturer that was at the time exporting more than 50% of its output to overseas vehicle manufacturers. This was part of a larger trend for GKN that during this period, under its Managing Director Raymond Brookes , was working to reduce its dependence on UK auto-maker customers at
3000-461: The designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. The main urban area up to the Webheath, Walkwood, and Hunt End suburbs, Astwood Bank, and the southernmost extent of the borough are exempt from the green belt area, bar small adjacent green belt 'wedges', but surrounding smaller villages, hamlets and rural areas such as Feckenham, Littleworth, Old Yarr and Ham Green up to
3075-451: The distinctive angular GKN symbol was created and the new company colours of blue and white introduced. In 1974, GKN acquired Kirkstall Forge Engineering , a manufacturer of truck axles in Leeds . By 1968, GKN Steel had recreated its downline business, and started to build its upline business through aggressive building of a steel stockholding business. In 1972, it acquired Firth Cleveland,
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3150-461: The early 2000s, the American market would be a consistent source of profits for the company. During 2003, Keller Groups underwent restructuring, which included 50 job losses, due to overcapacity and industry-wide changes; profits declined sharply by 46 percent while its subsidiary Makers was marked down by £7 million. However, by the start of 2005, Makers had returned to profitability and Keller Group
3225-702: The eastern side of the town. The Borough of Redditch is divided into several districts. To the east of the town are "New Town Districts" built in the 1970s and 1980s. To the west of the Borough are older "Former Village Districts" that dominate the south and west. See: Districts of Redditch Since 2011, Redditch has participated in the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership along with neighbouring authorities Birmingham , Bromsgrove , Cannock Chase , East Staffordshire , Lichfield , Solihull , Tamworth and Wyre Forest . Redditch
3300-508: The expansion of Volvo Aero's range of engine component production range via GKN's experience in producing aerostructures. In October 2015, GKN acquired Dutch aerospace company Fokker Technologies through a €706 million deal. GKN Aerospace chief Kevin Cummings stated that the Fokker purchase enhances GKN's global manufacturing footprint and brought new technology to the company. Throughout
3375-433: The factory was to be closed the next Monday. The same day, the unions organized a demonstration in front of the factory, and then occupied it . A workers' collective was formed with the objective of taking a shareholding in the business. In March 2023, Melrose announced that it would demerge GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy as Dowlais Group . The company is organised as follows: Redditch Redditch
3450-461: The field for many years. During the early 2000s, it took over Tochigi Fuji Sangyo K.K, a Japanese manufacturer of differentials and driveline torque systems. During December 2011, GKN Aerospace Engineering services division was sold to product engineering firm Quest Global. In 2012, GKN acquired the Swedish aerospace engine specialist Volvo Aero . During 2018, Melrose Industries acquired GKN with
3525-471: The improved design proposed by Alfred H. Rzeppa in 1936. However, in 1959, Alec Issigonis had developed the revolutionary Mini motor car that relied on the Hardy Spicer joints for its front wheel drive technology. The massive expansion in the exploitation of front wheel drive in the 1970s and 1980s led to the acquisition of other similar businesses and a 43% share of the world market by 2002. On
3600-405: The initial bid made. In March 2018, Melrose submitted a revised £8.1 billion bid for the company; this bid was controversial and was subject to criticism, being branded by some press agencies as a hostile takeover. Melrose's offer received shareholder support and was accepted. Following a formal review of the purchase, including of various objections put forward by GKN workers and trade unions ,
3675-521: The mid 1950s, the company established a partner, Madras Motors , in Madras , India, who manufactured the Bullet 350 model. The Indian factory is producing new models and has taken Royal Enfield into its third century of manufacturing. Some of the original factory buildings in Redditch still remain, most are in a derelict state and can be seen from Hewell Road. Some buildings have been taken over and now make
3750-563: The old part of Enfield Industrial Estate close to the town centre on Hewell Road. In 1956, Redditch was twinned with Auxerre in Burgundy, France. This twinning proved sufficiently popular to form an organisation named The Friends of Auxerre (FoA). At the beginning of June each year the coupling of these two towns is officially celebrated. In 1986, Redditch was twinned with Mtwara in Tanzania. Frequent events are organised with assistance from
3825-614: The reputation of being "one of the World's great industrial concerns". Though the Bessemer process was licensed in 1856, nine years of detailed planning and project management were needed before the first steel was produced. The company thrived with its new cost-effective production methods, forming alliances with the Consett Iron Company and Krupp . By 1857, G.T. Clark and William Menelaus, his manager, had constructed
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#17327878720753900-581: The steel industry under Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain . The act of parliament of 1949 took effect in February 1951. In 1951, a new subsidiary Blade Research & Development (BRD) was formed at Aldridge , Staffordshire , to produce aero-engine turbine blades. Following a fall in demand for turbine blades in the late 1950s, the BRD factory switched to producing constant-velocity joints and driveshafts for vehicles. In 1953, Britain's steel industry
3975-424: The supply of good quality steel thus, in 1954, the business negotiated from the asset realisation company the repurchase of key assets from ISC, which were renamed Guest Keen Iron and Steel Co. In 1961, the company's name was changed again to GKN Steel Company . These mergers heralded half a century in which GKN became a major manufacturer of screws , nuts , bolts and other fasteners . The company reflected
4050-496: The swimming pool at Abbey Stadium Leisure Centre has been warmed using waste heat from the nearby Redditch Crematorium, in a scheme designed to save around £15,000 a year. The 2012 film Sightseers is partly set in Redditch. Redditch is featured in a section heading in An Utterly Impartial History of Britain by John O'Farrell . Birmingham and national TV comedian Jasper Carrott makes Redditch
4125-607: The topic of merging their helicopter operations; French aerospace conglomerate Aérospatiale had also reportedly made its own approaches around this time. In July 2000, GKN and Finmeccanica announced an agreement to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries, Westland and Agusta respectively, to form AgustaWestland . On 20 May 2004, GKN confirmed that it was holding discussions to sell its 50% shareholding in AgustaWestland to Finmeccanica. The sale of this stake in exchange for £1 billion ($ 1.79 billion) from Finmeccanica
4200-464: The town and its surrounding areas. In the 1960s, it became part of the new town planning movement which included it expanding into neighbouring villages and hamlets surrounding the town. It is the second largest settlement in Worcestershire, after Worcester. The first recorded mention of Redditch ( Red-Ditch , thought to be a reference to the red clay of the nearby River Arrow ) is in 1348,
4275-716: The town. Following the redevelopment of the flagship Kingfisher Shopping Centre in 2002, Redditch is undergoing an economic and cultural renaissance. The town is home to several historical sites. The National Needles Museum and the ruins of Bordesley Abbey are located in the Abbey Ward district, and the remains of a medieval moated settlement called Moons Moat are within the Church Hill estate. There are two main tiers of local government covering Redditch, at district and county level: Redditch Borough Council and Worcestershire County Council . The borough council
4350-408: The traditional 5–7 infant, 7–11 junior and 11-16/18 secondary schools. Redditch currently has four high schools ( RSA Academy Arrow Vale , Saint Augustine's Catholic High School , Tudor Grange Academy , Trinity High School ) and six middle schools. Heart of Worcestershire College (often referred to locally as "HOW College") is a large general further education college: one of its four campuses
4425-512: The two businesses and formed Guest, Keen & Co. Limited on 1 November 1900. A little over twelve months later, Guest Keen & Co bought and amalgamated Nettlefolds Limited into their new combine giving it the style Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Limited . The origins of GKN lie in the founding of the Dowlais Ironworks in the village of Dowlais , Merthyr Tydfil , Wales , by Thomas Lewis and Isaac Wilkinson . John Guest
4500-487: The wider closure of multiple steelworks and heavy industries across Britain, which caused considerable social disruption in some areas at the time, thus becoming a topic of political debate. In 1989, GKN Steel's factory at Bilston , in the West Midlands , was permanently closed and subsequently demolished. Having disposed of its steel production asset, the company renamed itself GKN in 1986. The firm focused on military vehicles, aerospace and industrial services. During
4575-556: The world market for constant velocity joints. Around this same time period, GKN acquired larger shares of its other driveline joint ventures with Dana in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. From the late 1990s, the company built up a major global business in powder metallurgy , which operates as the GKN Powdered Metallurgy group. During early 1998, GKN and Italian aerospace company Finmeccanica commenced discussions on
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#17327878720754650-636: The year of the outbreak of the Black Death . During the Middle Ages , it became a centre of needle -making and later prominent industries were fish-hooks, fishing tackle, motorcycles and springs , the last of which was notably undertaken by Herbert Terry and Sons. Redditch was designated a new town on 10 April 1964, and the population increased dramatically from 32,000 to around 77,000. Housing developments such as Church Hill, Matchborough, Winyates, Lodge Park, and Woodrow were created to accommodate
4725-429: Was acquired by product engineering firm Quest Global. The sale was accompanied by an agreement for QuestGlobal to provide engineering resources to GKN Aerospace; this cooperation was presented as a long-term strategy. In July 2012, GKN agreed to acquire the Swedish aerospace components manufacturer Volvo Aero from AB Volvo for £633 million (US$ 986 million). The takeover was seen as presenting good opportunities for
4800-421: Was appointed manager of the works in 1767, having moved from Broseley . In 1786, Guest was succeeded by his son, Thomas Guest, who formed the Dowlais Iron Company with his son-in-law William Taitt. Guest introduced many innovations and the works prospered. Under Guest's leadership, alongside his manager John Evans, and after his death in 1852 that of his wife Lady Charlotte Guest , the Dowlais Ironworks gained
4875-743: Was attributed to external factors such as the strengthening of the Sterling and an economic downturn in Germany. Six months later, profits rose to £13.8 million, which was up 10 percent from the previous year; a large portion of these gains were from its international projects. During 1998, the company elected to expand its British-based concrete repair subsidiary Makers , as well as acquire the Australian foundation specialist Franki for £3.5 million. In August 1999, Keller Group stated that two-thirds of its pre-tax profits were derived from Makers. Throughout
4950-517: Was attributed to its international growth. During 2015, the company's performance dipped due to a downturn in Australia; while lower revenues were recorded for that year, profits actually rose. Nevertheless, in 2018, Keller Group issued a profit warning and dropped out of the FTSE 250 Index . In January 2023, Keller Group published a profit warning after a "deliberate and sophisticated financial reporting fraud" at Austral Construction. The estimated impact
5025-401: Was briefly famous (via The Graham Norton Show ) for a tongue-in-cheek calendar featuring its "picturesque" roundabouts created by a local printing company. The calendar was called, unsurprisingly, Roundabouts of Redditch , and it proved so successful that it sparked a national series. This self-similar pattern is found on a smaller scale in many of the modern estates in the town, which follow
5100-413: Was closed, at which point a second station was built alongside the junction of Bromsgrove Road and Plymouth Road. This station was provided with a standard Midland Railway design and two platforms. The current station was built in 1993. There is an extensive network of local bus services run by Diamond West Midlands and other operators (including Stagecoach and a community run bus). Many services run from
5175-403: Was de-nationalised by a new government; this policy only lasted for 14 years before being reversed. At the end of April 1965, the recently elected Labour government published a White Paper proposing the nationalisation of 90 per cent, by output, of Britain's steel industry. GKN Steel was transferred to public ownership at the end of July 1967. Beginning a programme of diversification into
5250-439: Was deeply impacted by government policies during the latter half of the century, during which Britain's steel industry was subject to multiple nationalisation and privatisation efforts. During the 1980s, GKN Steel reduced its presence in the steel sector, selling off or shutting down its works. GKN Steel renamed itself GKN during 1986 to indicate its shift away from steel production. Business activities were re-orientated around
5325-616: Was finalised later that year. In 2002, GKN acquired a significant stake in – and by 2004 took over the whole concern of – the Japanese manufacturer of differentials and driveline torque systems Tochigi Fuji Sangyo K.K, based in Tochigi, Tochigi . GKN went on to acquire Monitor Aerospace Corp in Amityville, New York and Precision Machining in Wellington, Kansas in 2006, part of the Airbus plant at Filton near Bristol for £150 million in 2008 and all of Getrag 's axle business and axle manufacturing facilities in 2011. During December 2011, GKN Aerospace Engineering services division
5400-426: Was founded by another steel manufacturing entrepreneur, Joseph Sankey . After training as a mechanical engineer in the late 19th century, Sankey founding a company that became a major producer of tea trays . A pioneering motorist, Sankey became friends with figures such as Herbert Austin , and was also a supplier of sheet steel components to the nascent British car industry. Because the wooden wheels on early cars had
5475-635: Was impacted by the start of the Great Recession and a major downturn in the housing market; in an effort to reduce its dependence upon the US market, it turned towards other markets, such as India and eastern Europe. One year later, the company achieved over £1 billion in turnover for the first time. In 2011, it was awarded contracts worth £30 million for grouting, structural monitoring and surveying works on London 's Crossrail programme. Two years later, Keller Group doubled its profits, which its management
5550-537: Was once again considering its expansion. During 2006, Keller Group acquired Anderson Drilling, the creators and owners of the Big Stan drilling rig, along with several British specialist firms, amid stronger than expected fiscal results. In September 2007, the company sold its social housing division for nominal consideration; later that same year, the company acquired the American piling specialist HJ Foundation in exchange for £24.5 million. During 2008, Keller Group
5625-412: Was £6m related to the first half of 2022, and £8m to £10m relating to prior years. Two directors were dismissed as investigations continued, and the company's shares fell 10%. The fraud was described by The Times as "apparently sophisticated". Keller's pre-tax profit for 2022 fell by 17% as a result; it made £56m profit across the year, from a turnover of £2.9bn. Keller operates under three divisions and
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