100 Years of
Boiler Making

John Thompson Limited, Wolverhampton

This is a combination of six companies, all under private ownership, divided so as to put each branch on its own footing (and to enable members of the staff in the various sections to be elected to the different Boards). All of them carry the name of John Thompson and include:

The Firm of John Thompson was founded 100 years ago by the grandfather of the present governing directors, and has made great progress since 1887, and particularly since 1900; it has an unbroken successful record, and no outside money has ever been applied for, either public or private.

The productions cover those named under the different headings above mentioned, and today, the staff and workpeople number 2,000, and the works and land total some 35 acres.

Lancashire Boilers - the firm were pioneers in the production of Lancashire and other boilers in the fewest number of plates and joints, and for the manipulation of this larger material, a special plant was installed. They have also been pioneers in two very important improvements: dished ends, that eliminates the necessity for any internal stays or gussets, with which is combined either a corrugated flue throughout, or a corrugated section, which secures at one and the same time greater strength, elasticity, and heating surface. The dished ends are forged in heavy hydraulic presses, and the corrugated sections are heated by water gas and welded by hydraulic roller machines (no hammering), and as long ago as 1907 a boiler 30ft. long by 9ft. in diameter, 230lbs. working pressure, was made from 9 pieces of steel only: 3 shell plates, 2 end plates, and 4 flue plates (2 only in each flue), a feat which had previously never been accomplished, but of which many thousands are now at work throughout the world. There is a battery of 56 of this type in Japan.

In this department also is produced multi-tubular, Cornish, and vertical boilers in great quantities, many of which can be found in India, where the firm has its own staff and offices, as also in Australia and other parts of the World.

The Lancashire Boiler Shop.

A dish-end boiler with corrugated flues.

Part of the Water Tube Boiler Shop.

A steam drum, 44 tubes wide, 7 tubes deep, tube plate 1¼ inches thick, diameter 3 ft. 9 inches, 32 feet long.

The Corrugated Furnace Shop.

The Superheater Erecting Shop.

Special mention should be made of the Australian Brown Coal Electricity Plant in Victoria, operated by 12 of the largest water tube boilers in the southern hemisphere, each of which are equal to an evaporation of over 100,000lbs. per hour.

Water Softening Company - The "Kennicott" water softeners are recognised as the best on the market, and have been in use for many years and in the largest units, both for town, railway, industrial and household supplies, in all parts of the world, including the United States.

Structural Works, Dudley - have some 250 men and are now producing a great variety of work (Welded and Rivetted) also chemical works and oil storage plants.

Motor Pressings - has its own very extensive works for cars and lorry frames, wings and bonnet work for cars, and is equipped with very heavy hydraulic presses, 25 to 28ft. long, and American power presses.

It is interesting to remark that the Frame for the Sunbeam car which achieved the world's record of 207 miles per hour, was made at these works.

The world land speed record breaking 1,000hp. Sunbeam car, during chassis erection.

The Frame Erecting Department at the Motor Pressings Works.

One of the large hydraulic presses, 28 feet long.

Window Frames - This is a separate company employing some 250 men on steel window frames. 

The company also has its own staff overseas, including a subsidiary company with main offices in Melbourne and Sydney (Australia), also Calcutta (India).

The interior of the Dudley factory.

Welded Gas Receivers, 20 ft. long, 4 feet 6 inches in diameter. Test pressure 275 lbs. per square inch.

Staff and Workpeople - The staff and workpeople have had first consideration. Facilities were granted for the purchase of shares first to the staff and afterwards to the workpeople, and during the past 14 years some 700 of these have been shareholders, and who at the present time hold one-fifth of all the shares of the company, preference and ordinary, the remainder being held entirely by the four governing directors. The shares have been paid for by savings from wages and salaries week by week or month by month, and from the staff and workpeople, directors have been elected to sit on the boards.

There has also been established at the firm's expense, special funds for unemployment, accident, benevolent, and an old age pension scheme. About 40 men can claim to have been regularly employed between 40 and 60 years, and a further 150 for 30 years and over. In many instances there are three generations of families working in different departments, consequently the relationship between employers and employees is of the happiest nature, which justifies the firm in saying that if only such schemes were adopted more extensively, there would be almost an end to the serious troubles which have gone so far to upset conditions in this good old country.

Sports and welfare has not been neglected; the workpeople have their own athletic ground, tennis courts (five) with large pavilion; canteen, adjacent to which are two bowling greens, and bandstand, these latter directly adjoining the works.

They also have their own band which elected to serve as the band of the 6th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment; male voice choir, football, tennis, bowling, fishing and poultry clubs.

An employees' children's party.

Works Canteen, seating 400 people.

Canteen, bandstand and bowling green.

Self supporting steel chimney, 110 feet high by 5 ft. 9 inches in diameter, in course of erection.

Completed boilers awaiting transportation.