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Founded | 1877 |
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Headquarters | Skipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
Parent | Fosun International |
Website | silvercrossbaby |
Silver Cross is an English private limited company and manufacturer of baby transport and other baby-related products, founded in 1877. Based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Silver Cross sells baby prams (perambulators, a type of baby transport) and pushchairs. Its parent company, the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, owns 87.2 percent of the equity. [1]
William Wilson founded the company in 1877 in Hunslet, Leeds. [2] [3] Wilson's prams used a spring system and a reversible hood, [2] which he produced in a factory on Silver Cross Street, Leeds. [4] In 1897, Wilson opened a factory on Whitehouse Street in Leeds. [5] Thereafter, Wilson registered more than 30 patents for pram design. [6] After receiving a Royal Warrant for baby carriage production, William Wilson died at age 58. Ownership passed to his three sons: James, Irwin, and Alfred. [7]
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Wilson brothers supplied a Silver Cross baby carriage to George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. [2] By 1936, Silver Cross had moved to a larger factory in Guiseley. [5]
In the 1940s and 1950s, Silver Cross developed new techniques for pram production. Plywood bodies were replaced with aluminum, and new rubber die presses, spot-welding machines, and others were installed at the Silver Cross Works. Posters of the time portrayed Silver Cross prams alongside Rolls-Royce cars, leading to the unofficial title of "the Rolls-Royce of Prams". [2] Silver Cross prams came to be seen as old-fashioned. [3] [8]
In 2002, the company was sold to Alan Halsall for £500,000. [8] While Halsall kept the older designs, most of the company's sales came from more modern designs, such as car seats. [8] Additionally, Halsall wanted Silver Cross to partner with complementary British manufacturers, such as furniture makers and toy makers. [8] Halsall also focused on expanding the company into international markets, particularly Asian territories, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. [8]
In 2013, Silver Cross entered into a partnership with classic British automotive brand Aston Martin to produce a special edition of the Surf pram and pushchair. [9]
On July 20, 2015, Fosun International announced it had purchased the company from Halsall. [10] As of 2017, Fosun owned 87.23% of the company. [11]
In October 2016, the company announced their expansion into the United States via ABC Expo, a trade show for children's products. [12]
Silver Cross's coach-built prams are characterized by a hard body, C-spring suspension, spoked wheels, and a folding hood. This method of pram construction was developed by William Wilson, who marketed it and registered numerous patents for perambulator design. [13]
The main focus of the Silver Cross range is currently 3-in-1 combination pram systems. This type of pram is characterized by its ability to be converted from a lie-flat pram, to a pushchair, or to a travel system (with the addition of a baby car seat). Silver Cross also produces infant car seats, umbrella-fold pushchairs, nursery bedding, and decor items.
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