chocks2
master brummie
In 1895 a small chemist shop was opened in the High Street Coleshill trading under the name of the "County Chemical Company" the founder specialised in oils and lubricants mainly for the car and cycle industries along with puncture repair kits but from 1896 he was trying to develope a grease free hair product for men based on the American lanollin hair gel. The lubricant side of the business was so successful that his hair project was put on hold. The majority of traiding was by mail order and distribution points were set up in London, Bristol and Manchester to meet demand.
Having out-grown his Coleshill premises by 1905 the company moved to Bradford Street in Birmingham. Production of lubricants continued along with the addition of cleaning products and by 1910 Golf Balls, with the trade name of "Chemico Bob" were being manufactured. It was probably around this time that the company name changed to "Chemico". With the advent of war, production was shifted to aid the war effort with emphasis again on oils and lubricants but with the addition of Body Armour and Gas Bombs (the first ever gas bomb used by the allies was was made by chemico).
After the war, production returned to normal and not a lot happened but in 1928 the founders dream of a hair product finally came true when the company chemists invented "Brylcreem" and to the suprise of the company sale were phenominal throughout the world. In 1931 another well know product was invented by the Chemico Company. It was a houshold cleaning paste which was sold under the brand name of "The Pink Stuff". Production at the company now concentrated on these two products untill 1939 when demand for Brylcreem was so great that the company was struggling to meet it's targets. Having been made an offer, the company decided to sell Brylcreem. Here is a quote from the company records......
During the 1930’s the demand for this product escalated beyond all dreams and in 1939 a very generous
offer was made by Beecham Trust Ltd. and the product was sold to them so that the product could reach
its full potential. At that time sales were 400 gross bottles per day.
In 1940 the Germans seemed to get their own back when the Bradford Street fectory was bombed during a raid on Birmingham. A quick purchase of a new factory was made on Stratford Rd in Shirley where production continued with the "Pink Stuff" and other cleaning products right through untill 1988. The company was then subjected to a management buy out and the factory in Shirley closed. Production was moved to new premises on Cranmore Industrial Estate, Solihull where they still trade today.
Having out-grown his Coleshill premises by 1905 the company moved to Bradford Street in Birmingham. Production of lubricants continued along with the addition of cleaning products and by 1910 Golf Balls, with the trade name of "Chemico Bob" were being manufactured. It was probably around this time that the company name changed to "Chemico". With the advent of war, production was shifted to aid the war effort with emphasis again on oils and lubricants but with the addition of Body Armour and Gas Bombs (the first ever gas bomb used by the allies was was made by chemico).
After the war, production returned to normal and not a lot happened but in 1928 the founders dream of a hair product finally came true when the company chemists invented "Brylcreem" and to the suprise of the company sale were phenominal throughout the world. In 1931 another well know product was invented by the Chemico Company. It was a houshold cleaning paste which was sold under the brand name of "The Pink Stuff". Production at the company now concentrated on these two products untill 1939 when demand for Brylcreem was so great that the company was struggling to meet it's targets. Having been made an offer, the company decided to sell Brylcreem. Here is a quote from the company records......
During the 1930’s the demand for this product escalated beyond all dreams and in 1939 a very generous
offer was made by Beecham Trust Ltd. and the product was sold to them so that the product could reach
its full potential. At that time sales were 400 gross bottles per day.
In 1940 the Germans seemed to get their own back when the Bradford Street fectory was bombed during a raid on Birmingham. A quick purchase of a new factory was made on Stratford Rd in Shirley where production continued with the "Pink Stuff" and other cleaning products right through untill 1988. The company was then subjected to a management buy out and the factory in Shirley closed. Production was moved to new premises on Cranmore Industrial Estate, Solihull where they still trade today.
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