plumbing supply

Wolseley plc (LSE: WOS) is a British company which has engaged in a disparate range of activities over its long history. It is now one of the largest distributors of building equipment in the world, with particular strength in plumbing and heating supplies. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Its headquarters are in the village of Theale near the town of Reading to the west of London. Renovator's Supply.

History

The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company Ltd was founded by Irishman Frederick York Wolseley in Sydney, Australia, in 1887. It was the first company to produce a mechanical sheep shearing machine. In 1889 Wolseley transferred his company patents to a new company Registered in London, because he was unable to find adequate subcontractors to build the parts in Australia.

The future car magnate Herbert Austin joined the company, in Australia, in 1888; and he returned to England with Frederick York Wolseley in November 1893 when they moved into a factory in Broad Street, Birmingham, England. Austin was a major influence on the direction of the company after Wolseley himself resigned in 1894. Blackman | Fine Plumbing Products.