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Ash and Lacey

Shortie

Shortie

master brummie
Can anyone tell me what Ash and Lacey used to do please? The name rings a bell, but that's all. Where were they situated in Birmingham? There is a suggestion of a link to the sweet shop in Hurst Street, but it's only a vague suggestion.

Shortie
 
Ash Lacy Galvanizers formally in Meriden St Digbeth later moved to Cheapside Rea St I think. Dek
 
Ash and Lacy still exist. For a long time they were in Smethwick but now in Bromford Lane West Bromwich. See https://www.ashandlacy.com/

In the 1970s their MD was a Mr Fane Vernon who was a very outspoken business man. When I was President of Birmingham Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1978/79, I invited him to speak at my Annual Dinner
 
Joseph Ash's firm celebrates 150 years

Jan 24 2008 With Thanks to the Birmingham Post. Len.
A tank manufacturer founded by a 'captain of Birmingham industry' is today celebrating more than 150 years of business in Birmingham.
JA Envirotanks, part of Joseph Ash Ltd, will gather clients and employees at Bank restaurant in Brindleyplace for the occasion. Guests will also include the Mayor and Mayoress of Birmingham and city historian Chris Upton.
The company was founded in 1857 by Joseph Ash, the son of Thomas Ash, a chemist in Birmingham's Stafford Street.
Described as "one who for considerably more than half a century was a captain of industry in Birmingham," in his obituary a 1915 edition of The Birmingham Post, Joseph was educated at King Edwards School and, at the age of 13, entered a zinc business founded by his father in High Street.


He branched out with his own firm at the age of 33, starting his own business in Meriden Street making hard ware items and railway stores.
The Great Western Railway Company extensively used Joseph Ash for many of its track-side requirements such as water towers, lamp sheds and lube tanks for keeping their operations well oiled.
In 1864 Joseph Ash joined forces with John Pierce Lacy who provided galvanizing experience for his iron and steelwork.
Ash & Lacy remained the group parent company of the business until its recent takeover by Hill & Smith.
Joseph also founded Joseph Ash & Son in Rea Street South, Digbeth making galvanized roofing and metal storage tanks, which in later years was managed by his oldest son Thomas Henry.
This gradually expanded to a site occupying hundreds of acres of land bordering on Rea Street South, Moseley Street and Charles Henry Street.
Two impressive Victorian office blocks were built in Charles Henry Street to house the growing number of administration staff which was required to run large expanding business.
Opposite the galvanizing factory in Charles Henry Street, slum back-to-back houses were demolished to make way for a new tank manufacturing unit.
As well as all the business activities, Joseph fathered eleven children and took a great interest in local philanthropic movements. He was for many years actively engaged in promoting the affairs of the Birmingham Blue Coat School and was a generous supporter of the hospitals of the city, of the General Dispensary, the Blind Asylum, the Deaf Institution, and the Harborne Industrial School.
He lived for many years in Yardley, but moved to Leamington Spa in 1885. He died aged ninety-one at his house Gaveston, in Guys Avenue with the funeral taking place on August 4, 1915 at Old Milverton Church, Leamington.
JA Envirotanks general manager, Simon Proctor - a former pupil Birmingham Blue Coat School - said the history of the firm, and of Joseph Ash, was a huge asset to the business.
He said: "The historical aspect highlights the depth of experience of the company and shows we are a solid enterprise.
"We have been here for 150 years and have every intention of continuing to perform solidly into the future."
Mr Proctor, who joined the business since 1983 and worked his way up the ranks, said the company continued to vale a family atmosphere and benefited from low staff turnover.
Now part of the Hill & Smith group, Joseph Ash sees annual turnover of about £29 million, with JA Envirotanks represent approximately 20 per cent of the business.
The company, still based in Charles Henry Street, currently employs 50 staff and now focuses on environmental storage solutions.
Mr Proctor said: "Since the late 1980s we have evolved alongside the Government's environmental legislation.
Rather than just supplying tanks we now offer environmental solutions for the 21st century."
The company was now looking ahead at opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympic Games, Mr Proctor said.
"Diesel tanks for stand-by generators and for public transport used to transport visitors to the Olympic zone will all be needed and we hope to be able to supply them
 
Joseph Ash Ltd founded 1857 and Ash & Lacy Ltd founded 1864 although under the same ownership were separate companies
 
Len that's brilliant. Lots of background info if I need it. It has been suggesed to me that one of the men who married into my family was connected to this family, and it was suggested that he may have been born the wrong side of the blanket. Whether we shall find out, I have no idea, but knowing where the factory was and where the Ash family lived, may be a help. Most interesting.

Shortie
 
Thank you David. I have to say I was surprised that they still exist under the same name - something that is not often found these days of takeovers and buyouts.

Shortie
 
Ash & Lacey also became hardware factors - probably in the late 1960's early 1970's when they bought out Andrew Charles Ltd, Wholesale Hardware Merchants of Stallings Lane, Kingswinford. May have taken over other hardware wholesalers too.
 
during my time on PO Telephones I spent a period on the Smethwick exchange area and remember maintaining Ash and Lacy's small automatic telephone system, I seem to remember they were in or near Rolfe Street near GKN Group Head Office (which I also looked after) this was 1970's/1980's. Eric
 
Don`t know if this is the same company, but in Shenstone near Lichfield was a small factory named `Ash and Lacey Pressings` I went past today only to find that it is now `A & L Pressings` and that the factory was closed and boarded up! Anyone know the story ?
 
It was owned by Ash & Lacy but probably went the same way as many pressworkers doug. The firm I worked for took a lot of work off them in the late 80,s due to their short term lack of capacity. Their main customers were Valor Heating and other domestic goods manufacturers.During the 1990's there was a Company near St. Pauls Sq. called Hunt and Rogers who also got loads of work from Valor and likewise they had to offload a lot of work.Not many press working companies about these days which is sad.Loss of manufacturing which is what this country needs.
 
The change of name from Ash & Lacy Pressings to A & L Pressings suggests to me that there was a change of ownership, probably a management buy out, when one of the clauses in the agreement would require a change of name to show that the business was no longer connected with the previous owners. Unfortunately the average life of an MBO is three and a half years.
 
I worked at Thomas Ash and sons in the early 70,s,sheet metal,mostly ductwork,though a lot of other items were made,water tanks,tank supports,machine guards,and a host of other items too,i was the welder there,they also had a sort of factory within a factory as it were,called Cycle Parts,making just that,directly opposite was Joseph Ash,galvanisers.
I have on occasion been to their premise,s to deliver the odd part for galvanising,literally a stroll across the street.
the parts i remember taking were usually long angle iron lengths,that were galvanised,then brought back for stick welding into frames(the frames being very large,thus requiring galvanising seperately).
Rea Street South by the way,happy days.
 
cookie273uk said:
during my time on PO Telephones I spent a period on the Smethwick exchange area and remember maintaining Ash and Lacy's small automatic telephone system, I seem to remember they were in or near Rolfe Street near GKN Group Head Office (which I also looked after) this was 1970's/1980's. Eric
Click to expand...

alma st
ron
 
Hi guys ; great bit of detective work by everybody and i know for dead cert david and eric ; are correct
it was smethwick where the expansion went they built the bussines for years ago and if was rolfe street
big bussinees and very hard to get your foot in the door for a job it was in the fifties they was paying high wages
it was said its a job for life; but you earn it and there was a waiting list for a job ; just like rotton park rd ladywood for a job on the bins well done lads each and every one of you for your work and knowledge ;;
have a great day . Best wishes astonian;;
 
Joseph Ash Galvanisers were in Charles Henry St. Digbeth. On the other side of the road was Joseph Ash Tanks.
Ash and Lacey, was the group name and the head office was in Alma St, Smethwick. Also on this site were several companies within the group, Ashclad is the one I remember. In Long Acre Nechells Ash and lacey had a company called LinPac who did rotational plastic moulding.
Attached are some pics of the Ash and lacy fleet from the late 70's.
 
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m.humphreys said:
It was owned by Ash & Lacy but probably went the same way as many pressworkers doug. The firm I worked for took a lot of work off them in the late 80,s due to their short term lack of capacity. Their main customers were Valor Heating and other domestic goods manufacturers.During the 1990's there was a Company near St. Pauls Sq. called Hunt and Rogers who also got loads of work from Valor and likewise they had to offload a lot of work.Not many press working companies about these days which is sad.Loss of manufacturing which is what this country needs.
Click to expand...
How Odd hearing the name Valor!
I was their (Valor's) in-house Pressings manager from 1994-1999 from which i moved to Scotland. I remember Ash & Lacey and most of the other Press workers I bought stuff in from. As a business Valor had few Presses ranging from 30Ton to 400ton, some pre-war but mostly antiquated and required continous maintenance. Valour was though a wonderful company employing over 400 people suppling 16 production lines making fires for the entire planet, Now that's what Birmingham is made of, amazing people, hard working, funny, skill could always be found in your top left hand pocket!

I can tell you it was like walking back 100 years when i came to scotland, Hil farmers dont know presses, they know sheep!
 
Journey66 said:
How Odd hearing the name Valor!
I was their (Valor's) in-house Pressings manager from 1994-1999 from which i moved to Scotland. I remember Ash & Lacey and most of the other Press workers I bought stuff in from. As a business Valor had few Presses ranging from 30Ton to 400ton, some pre-war but mostly antiquated and required continous maintenance. Valour was though a wonderful company employing over 400 people suppling 16 production lines making fires for the entire planet, Now that's what Birmingham is made of, amazing people, hard working, funny, skill could always be found in your top left hand pocket!

I can tell you it was like walking back 100 years when i came to scotland, Hil farmers dont know presses, they know sheep!
Click to expand...
If you haven't seen it already, there is a small thread about Valor.

Valor Heating

Does anyone remember the Valor factory? It made fires. I remember it from the late 60's?
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
My first job was as a trainee at Harborne & Grove, Architects whose office in Witton Lane, Aston, adjoined the left side of the old tram shed which at that time (1966) was occupied by Hanger Motors Ford dealership. One of the first jobs I worked on (applying watercolour paints to plans and elevations, some on paper, some on linen) was for a brick-built extension to Ash & Lacy premises in Alma Street, Smethwick.
 
Interesting catalogue, though peculiarly bad reproduction. Possibly the item wa sin colour but copied monochromatiocally. The following image did give me images of someone following the horses around with this bowl to make collections

ScreenHunter 6819.jpg
 
Interesting that Ash and Lacy were in Deritend and Great Bridge whereas I knew of them in Smethwick. I invited Fane Vernon, MD of the company to be the guest speaker at a formal dinner in 1978 when I was president of Birmingham Junior Chamber of Commerce.
 
Shortie said:
Can anyone tell me what Ash and Lacey used to do please? The name rings a bell, but that's all. Where were they situated in Birmingham? There is a suggestion of a link to the sweet shop in Hurst Street, but it's only a vague suggestion.

Shortie
Click to expand...
I can also add that in a lifetime of electrical wholesaling from the year dot, till when I retired the cable tray we stocked was alway's Ash & Lacy
 
As a Smethwick lad, I was familiar with Ash and Lacy, Alma Street Smethwick, but I see that the Ash and Lacy group is active in a wide range of manufacturing.

  • Established in 1857, Ash & Lacy has grown into a company with a group annual turnover of £75 million+, with experience in the Automotive sector for 150 years+.
  • Ash & Lacy Automotive specialise in perforating, expanding, photo etching and pressed metal components, most recognised for ventilation meshes, grilles and audio speaker grilles.
  • With total solution manufacturing and services in-house, we offer OEMs and Tier 1s a highly experienced, responsive and controlled supply.
  • from https://ashlacyautomotive.co.uk/
  • Other parts of the group produce perforated metal and expanded metal. Construction, especially cladding. https://www.ashandlacy.com/
Other factories: Bromford Lane West Bromwich.
 
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