Pifco

Last updated

Pifco (sometimes rendered PIFCO) is a British electrical goods brand and a former manufacturer of small domestic appliances.

Contents

Founding and growth

Regent Mill in Failsworth, Pifco headquarters from 1970 Regent Mill in Failsworth.jpg
Regent Mill in Failsworth, Pifco headquarters from 1970

Provincial Incandescent Fittings Co. was established in 1900 by Joseph Webber, who opened a single lock-up shop in Failsworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester. Formed as a limited company in 1902, the company initially sold gas lighting appliances and accessories such as burners and mantles. [1] [2]

After World War I the company diversified into various electrical items. Christmas lights were an early addition to the product range, as were torches and battery lanterns. Hair dryers, shavers, fans and electric blankets soon followed. The company officially adopted the shortened name of 'Pifco' in November 1949. [3] :41

Expansion in the following years included new factories in Salford, Manchester and Birmingham, [2] [4] as well as the 1957 incorporation of Birmingham-based Wall's Ltd, a manufacturer of small cooking appliances, kettles and medical lamps. [1]

Other notable product lines added include bicycle lighting and hooters, heating appliances and cooking equipment from boiling rings to teasmades. [5]

Pifco became a public company in 1957 and established a new headquarters at Failsworth in 1970. The company was family-controlled for 100 years, [6] with Joseph Webber succeeded by his son Alfred in 1955 and his grandson Michael in 1983. [7]

Acquisitions and diversification

By the early 1980s, Pifco was facing a general economic recession and increased competition from cheaper imported goods. The increasing negotiating power of major retail chains also led to pressure on margins and, in 1982, Pifco reported the first significant decline in its annual profits. In response, the company embarked on a strategy of acquisition to improve economies of scale and provide the broader product range being demanded by retailers. [8]

In 1984, an initial attempt to acquire housewares company Swan failed, but was followed in 1985 by the £1.5 million purchase of the overseas business of US-based kitchen appliances company Salton, and by the takeover of heated hair roller company Carmen in 1987. [8]

In 1991, Pifco purchased the well-known kitchen appliances and kitchenware manufacturer Russell Hobbs Tower, thereby doubling the size of the company [9] [10] and fulfilling Pifco's long-stated ambition to add domestic kettles to its product line. [8] The subsequent development, under Pifco's ownership, of the new 'OPTEC' flat heating element technology by Russell Hobbs led to a significant rise in profits [11] and attracted interest from other appliance manufacturers. [6]

A failed attempt to purchase electrical hair styling and beauty brand BaByliss in 1995 [12] was followed by a successful acquisition of air treatment and aromatheraphy company Mountain Breeze in 1996. Additionally, while numerous attempts to merge with rival kitchen appliance maker Kenwood failed, [13] Pifco was successful during 2000 in purchasing Haden, another producer of small kitchen appliances. [1]

Company takeover

In 2001 Salton Group, a US company, purchased Pifco and the registered company Pifco Ltd was renamed as Salton Europe Ltd. Salton already had established links with Pifco, following the sale of Salton's international division to Pifco in 1985. [7] [6]

The Pifco name continued to be used for some products such as torches, Christmas lighting, fans and travel appliances, but increasingly products were marketed either under the acquired Russell Hobbs and Carmen brands, or under brands owned by Salton such as George Foreman. [14] By 2007, Salton Europe was focusing primarily on its Russell Hobbs brand [15] with the Pifco brand licensed for use by other companies soon afterwards. [16] [17]

Salton renamed itself as Russell Hobbs, Inc in 2009, [18] shortly before being acquired by Spectrum Brands in 2010. In the UK, Salton Europe Ltd followed suit by becoming Russell Hobbs Ltd, before later transferring business to Spectrum Brands (UK) Ltd and ceasing to actively trade itself.

The corporate entity that originated as Pifco Ltd technically remains in existence, but annual accounts filed in 2023 confirm that the company has been dormant since 2014. [19]

Brand licensing, sale and reincarnation

Starting in 2007, Salton's focus on other brands led to the Pifco marque being licensed for use by other companies. Initially, a range of heating and cooling appliances, light bulbs, electrical accessories and LED Christmas lighting was produced by KB Group of Manchester. [16] By 2016, the licence holder was RK Wholesale of Stoke-on-Trent, [17] who sold a range of heating, cooling, floorcare and small kitchen appliances under the Pifco name, as well as a range of electrical accessories including plugs, sockets, adapters and extension leads.

Housewares company Sabichi purchased the Pifco brand outright in 2020, [20] [21] having previously also purchased and relaunched the sister Haden brand from Spectrum. A range of Pifco-branded electrical goods is now produced by Sabichi, including:

Product examples

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braun (company)</span> German consumer products company

Braun GmbH is a German consumer products company founded in 1921 and based in Kronberg im Taunus. The company is known for its design aesthetic from the 1960s through the 1980s, which included products such as electric shavers, radiograms and record players, movie cameras, slide projectors, clocks, and small kitchen appliances for which "Braun became shorthand for reliable, no-nonsense modernist goods."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen of Troy Limited</span> American developer and marketer of consumer housewares, health, home, and beauty products

Helen of Troy Limited is an American publicly traded designer, developer and worldwide marketer of consumer brand-name housewares, health and home, and beauty products under owned and licensed brands. It is the parent corporation of OXO International Ltd., Kaz, Inc., Steel Technology, LLC, and Idelle Labs, Ltd, among others. The company is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with U.S. operations headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The company is named after the historical or mythic figure Helen of Troy.

KitchenAid is an American home appliance brand owned by Whirlpool Corporation. The company was started in 1919 by The Hobart Manufacturing Company to produce stand mixers; the H-5 is the first model that was introduced. The company faced competition as rivals moved into this emerging market, and introduced its trademarked silhouette in the 1930s with the model "K", the work of designer Egmont Arens. The brand's stand mixers have changed little in design since, and attachments from the model "K" onwards are compatible with the modern machines.

Morphy Richards is a British brand of electrical appliances headquartered in Swinton, in South Yorkshire, England. Its products were formerly made at its historic home of Mexborough, and in other facilities across the United Kingdom. However, since the 1990s, all of its manufacturing has been carried out in the Far East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dualit</span> British kitchen appliance manufacturer

Dualit is a British manufacturer of kitchen and catering equipment, and coffee and tea capsules. It is known for its range of heavy-duty toasters. It was primarily designed for the commercial catering market, its domestic usage increased during the 1990s

De'Longhi S.p.A. is an Italian small appliance manufacturer based in Treviso, Italy.

Russell Hobbs is a British manufacturer of household appliances. Formed in 1952 by William Russell and Peter Hobbs, it became the primary kettle maker in the United Kingdom marketplace in the 1960s. Subjected to many corporate acquisitions through its history, its head office is currently sited in Failsworth, England, having moved its manufacturing operation to East Asia.

Breville Group Limited, or simply Breville, is an Australian multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, headquartered in Alexandria, an inner suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The company's brands include Breville, Sage, Kambrook, Baratza, and LELIT. Breville markets its products worldwide using its namesake Breville brand, except in the UK and Europe, where the Sage brand is used.

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., is an American diversified company headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin. It was established in 2005 as the successor to Rayovac Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Décor Products</span> Former online home improvement retailer

Home Décor Products, Inc., was a large online retailer of home improvement and furnishings, headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. It claimed to stock more than 450,000 home products from more than 800 luxury brands including TOTO, Lenox, Kohler, and Jacuzzi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regent Mill, Failsworth</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Regent Mill, Failsworth is a Grade II listed former cotton spinning mill in Failsworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was built by the Regent Mill Co Ltd. in 1905, and purchased by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1930. It was taken over by the Courtaulds Group in 1964. On ceasing textile production it was occupied by Pifco Ltd, and then by Salton Europe Ltd who now occupy this site. It was driven by an 1800 hp twin tandem compound engine by Buckley & Taylor. It became a ring mill with 60,000 spindles in 1915, all provided by Platt Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Home + Housewares Show</span>

The Inspired Home Show, formerly known as the International Home + Housewares Show, is an annual housewares show staged at McCormick Place in Chicago and organized by the International Housewares Association. In 2008, the Show covered 785,000 net square feet (72,900 m2) of exhibit space. It is one of top 20 largest trade shows in the U.S. and in the top 10 in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salter Housewares</span> British housewares brand (notably weighing scales)

Salter is a British housewares brand. Established in 1760, Salter has been developing precision products for over 260 years. Salter develops and sells products that span a wide range of core product categories, including scales, electricals, cookware and countertop. It is a market leader in kitchen and bathroom scales and one of the UK’s oldest consumer brands. It was acquired by Manchester-based consumer goods giant Ultimate Products in 2021, after they had previously licensed the brand for cookware and kitchen electrical goods since 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulpitt & Sons</span> Former English electrical goods manufacturer

Bulpitt & Sons Ltd was an electrical goods manufacturer and limited company in Birmingham, England, established as a brass founder in the late 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midea Group</span> Chinese home appliance manufacturer and air conditioner OEM

Midea Group is a Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Beijiao town, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong and listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange. As of 2021, the firm employed approximately 150,000 people in China and overseas with 200 subsidiaries and over 60 overseas branches. Midea Group is listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2013. It has been listed on the Fortune Global 500 since July 2016. Midea produces lighting, water appliances, floor care, small kitchen appliances, laundry, large cooking appliances, and refrigeration appliances. It is the largest microwave oven manufacturer, and acts an OEM for many brands. It also has a long history in producing home and commercial products in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). It is the world's largest producer of industrial robots and appliances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addis Housewares</span>

Addis Housewares is a British supplier and manufacturer of domestic and commercial products. Originally founded in 1780, the company was owned by the Addis family, to whom the first modern toothbrush is credited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Hobbs, Inc.</span> American home appliances company

Russell Hobbs, Inc., was an American company based in Florida which manufactured home appliances, most notably the George Foreman grill and Russell Hobbs appliances. In June 2010, Russell Hobbs, Inc. was taken over by and became part of Spectrum Brands. The name was derived from the British company, Russell Hobbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amica (manufacturing company)</span>

Amica is a global manufacturer of household appliances headquartered in Wronki in western-central Poland. The company produces refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, electric stoves and kettles for kitchens under the brands Hansa, CDA, Gram.

L G Hawkins & Co Ltd was an England based company which manufactured small electrical domestic appliances. The company was founded by Leonard George Hawkins in 1913 in London. Initially Leonard George Hawkins imported domestic electrical products from the USA under the ‘Universal’ brand name.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pifco - Grace's Guide". Grace's Guide Ltd. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 Stiling, Marjorie (1980). Famous Brand Names, Emblems and Trademarks. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. p. 42. ISBN   0715380982.
  3. Companies House (1 January 1995). "A selection of documents registered before 1 January 1995" (pdf).
  4. Webb, Pauline; Suggitt, Mark (2000). Gadgets and Necessities: An Encyclopedia of Household Innovations. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 207. ISBN   9791576070818.
  5. "Pifco". Sheridan Parsons and Doug Fennell. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Small Companies: David Blackwell examines the sale of Pifco to a US group". Financial Times. 12 May 2001.
  7. 1 2 "Pifco agrees £50m offer from Salton". Manchester Evening News. 3 May 2001.
  8. 1 2 3 "Management: Why Pifco is set to turn up the heat - The UK group's search for a broader base". Financial Times. 8 November 1989.
  9. "UK Company News: Pifco pays administrator £7.8m for Russell Hobbs". Financial Times. 6 April 1991.
  10. "History of Salton". Salton Europe. Archived from the original on 5 June 2002.
  11. "Kettle firm steams ahead". Birmingham Mail. 5 August 1998.
  12. Pifco Holdings plc (11 October 1995). Annual Report & Accounts 1995 (pdf) (Report).
  13. "Pifco undaunted by Kenwood rebuffs". The Independent. 5 August 1998.
  14. "Brands". Salton Europe. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007.
  15. Salton Europe Limited (30 June 2007). Report and Financial Statements (pdf) (Report).
  16. 1 2 "Pifco". KB Import & Export Ltd. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008.
  17. 1 2 "Terms & Conditions". RK Wholesale Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016.
  18. "Russell Hobbs » About". 13 April 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2011.
  19. "Russell Hobbs Limited overview". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  20. "Sabichi acquires PIFCO". HousewaresNews.net. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  21. "Search for a trademark". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  22. "Amazon.co.uk: PIFCO". Amazon UK. Retrieved 14 June 2022.