Gorgeous catalogue cover!

                              

Mark Larden is new Managing Director

6 March 2015 Geberit, new owners of Twyford announces the appointment of Mark Larden as new Managing Director for the integrated companies of Geberit and Twyford in the UK / Ireland. Mark Larden will start his new role on 7 April 2015. Geberit thanks Brent Hudson for his successes with Twyford and has announced he will take on a new role in the combined business. Brent’s new role will be communicated along with the announcement of the new UK / Ireland management team.


                              

Twyford's new owners : Geberit merges with Sanitec

27 February  2015 The last day of trading in the Sanitec shares on Nasdaq Stockholm was on 27 February 2015.

"For Geberit, the merger with Sanitec represents an expansion of its strategic focus. The future product offerings will be enhanced with bathroom ceramics. The new company will be the market leader for sanitary products in Europe, combining behind-the-wall technical know-how with in-front-of the-wall design competence. Geberit is excited about the prospect of collaborating with Sanitec’s professional and knowledgeable staff to extract the expected significant benefits from the combination of the two companies. All elements of the integration and target organization will be developed jointly with representatives from both companies."

Key Dates in Twyford's long heritage

Here are the key dates in the history of the Twyford Company which has its roots in Stoke-on-Trent in the Staffordshire Potteries of England in the 1680s. more>

Twyford through the Centuries

Nineteenth Century
Thomas Twyford commenced his sanitaryware production in 1849 when he established his factory in Bath Street, Hanley, manufacturing elementary toilet bowls, for use in Valve Closet, and washbasins.

Twyfords - Father Thomas and Son Thomas William

In that same year Thomas had a son, Thomas William, and it was Thomas William who, in his twenties, took over the running of the factory and rapidly expanded the company.

In 1887 Thomas William built his new "model" factory in Cliffe Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, and by then his one-piece, all-ceramic, freestanding, washout pedestal closet, designed in 1883, was in full production.

Twyfords UNITAS 1883

Twyford named this THE UNITAS and he developed a huge export market with it. The Unitas became so well known in Russia that the name Unitas (or Unitaz) was adopted in their language to mean "toilet".

Thomas William Twyford was an innovator, business man, marketeer and philanthropist and used all of his skills to develop the Twyford company. Many of today’s basic sanitaryware designs can be attributed to his genius.

By 1901 Twyford boasted 30 trade marks and 20 different toilet models.

In 1903 he opened his first factory abroad, in Ratingen near Dusseldorf, Germany. The factory still exists today and is now part of the Sanitec Group as Keramag.


Twentieth Century
During the twentieth century Twyford established factories in South Africa, Australia and India. And these are still producing today but under new owners.

Twyfords Alsager Factory built 1956

In 1956 Twyford’s modern vitreous china factory was established on the outskirts of Stoke on Trent at Alsager and in the 50+ years since the first kiln was lit, 8 more were built and the factory expanded many times on its 70 acre site.


Twenty First Century
In August 2011 the Alsager factory was closed. The portfolio of products is now outsourced and the factory site was given planning permission in 2014 for a Sainsbury's supermarket and housing. Later Sainsbury decided to back out of the development but housing went ahead. The offices were converted into a Care home for the elderley, opening July 2020.