In his home at The Hollies, on the side of Church Hill, Wednesbury, Walter Wilkins had a small experimental workshop where he could work on new ideas and designs. In about 1926 he began thinking about building washing machines, and in 1929 founded Servis Limited in order to manufacture them. Servis washing machines were a great success, and like the power presses were sold at home and abroad.

Presses from 100 tons to 6,000 tons were built at the Darlaston factory, and a modern London office opened in Park Lane, where a display of Servis washing machines could be seen. The premises also housed the power press export section. The overseas market was extremely important to the company.

By the early 1950s space was in short supply at Phoenix Works and so a second factory was opened in Darlaston Road, King’s Hill to produce washing machine components. A few years later a large piece of land was purchased at King’s Hill next to the existing factory, to extend the factory, build a new office block, and concentrate washing machine production on the site. A little later another successful product, the Servis ‘Super Twin’ was launched.

Extensions were added to the power press factory, and single, and double action presses were produced for a wide range of industries, including the motor industry, the forging industry, the aircraft industry, and the domestic appliance industry.

By the 1960s thousands of Servis washing machines were made each week, and a subsidiary company called Wilkins Servis was set up to manufacture washing machines in Australia.

In 1982 the UK manufacturing group, Verson International, acquired Wilkins and Mitchell, and sales continued to grow. The group built a new, larger factory on a 15 acre site in Willenhall Road, formerly occupied by Wellman Cranes. The new factory costing £6 million opened on 28th November, 1990 and the company’s name was changed to Verson Wilkins. By this time the company had come to rely on orders from UK vehicle manufacturers, but with that industry in decline, orders fell, and the Darlaston workforce was greatly reduced.

Due to still declining orders, the factory closed on 2nd April, 1999, with the loss of 64 jobs. The Servis factory survived until October 2008, but has since been demolished.

A hot forging machine.

Garringtons

Another of Darlaston's once-important factories was Garringtons, based at Albert Works in Willenhall Road. The large forging works was once a local landmark, with a large workforce. The firm was founded by John Garrington who started a small stamping business at Phoenix Works, Catherine's Cross, in 1830, to produce forged components for the gun trade. By 1851 he also produced nuts & bolts and bed screws.

In 1912 Albert Works was acquired by nut and bolt manufacturer F.W. Cotterill, and seven years later became part of G.K.N. In the late 1930s the factory was greatly extended, and drop forgings were produced for aircraft, ships, locomotives, railway construction, vehicles, and machine tools. Garringtons also specialised in heat treatment. In the 1940s over 100,000 tons of forgings were produced annually on the site.

In 1946 Garringtons acquired Deritend Stamping Limited of Newton Works, Bromsgrove, and also specialised in a wide range of hand tools. The factory closed in the recession during the 1980s.

Rubery Owen

Another once-well known manufacturer was Rubery Owen based at Victoria Ironworks in Booth Street, established in 1884 by John Tunner Rubery and his two brothers. Nine years later the two brothers left, and John was joined by Alfred Ernest Owen, an engineer from Wrexham. In 1903 the firm became Rubery, Owen & Company and greatly expanded the product range to produce structural steelwork, motor car and aircraft components, pressings and fabrications, agricultural products, propane gas cylinders, and nuts and bolts.

In 1910 John Tunner Rubery resigned from the partnership, and by 1912 the works had been divided into five departments: Aviation, Engineering, Fencing, Motor Frames, and Roofing. On April 14th, 1920 the firm became Rubery, Owen & Company Limited, and a Metal Aircraft Department, and a Structural Department were formed.

Expansion continued with the opening of the Armour Plate Department, the purchase of Easiclene Porcelain-Enamel (1938) Limited, the formation of the Airframe Department, and the purchase of a hydraulics company in Warrington, that became known as Rubery Owen Conveyancer Limited.

The company’s many products included pressings, fabrications, general aircraft components, precision assemblies for aircraft, gas cylinders, nuts, bolts, studs, and motor vehicle components, such as chassis, axles, wheels, fuel tanks, and discs. Steel structures were designed and made for all types of single and multi-storey buildings, and the company's Structural Department was responsible for a number of well-known buildings including the London Passenger Transport Offices at Westminster, the Palace Court Hotel, Bournemouth, Rootes Securities building, Speke aircraft factory, and the Castle Bromwich aircraft works. Local structures include the steel frame for Wolverhampton's Civic Hall, the old South Bank Stand at Molineux football ground, and Birmingham Tramways and Omnibus Department's bus garage. The company also produced pre-fabricated houses for local authorities.     

Rubery Owen became one of the major employers in the area, employing around 14,000 people by the 1960s. Unfortunately things started to go wrong during the recession in the late 1970s. In June 1979 the company shed 400 employees at Darlaston, and 950 more in 1981. Sadly things didn’t improve, and the Darlaston factory closed in the same year.

E. C. & J. Keay Limited

Another well known company, E. C. & J. Keay Limited was founded in 1879 at New Street, Birmingham. They were builders and ironmongers. In 1884 they moved to Cyclops Works, West Bromwich and began to manufacture fencing, fittings, and steel fabrications.

In 1887 the company moved to "Bridge Yard", James Bridge where they produced many products and specialised in structural steelwork for all types of buildings, such as schools, hospitals, factories, offices, and warehouses. They also built bridges, hoppers, bunkers, riveted platework, welded fabrications, and railway signalling equipment.

In 1957 they became part of the Hingley Group and were absorbed into F.H. Lloyds in 1960. Sadly they were another victim of the 1980s’ recession. The F.H. Lloyd group collapsed in 1982.