Another Company, based in Norwich, which has played an important part in Norfolk and it's people's lives is:

Mann Egerton & Company

Business reminiscence page

1899: Gerald Noel Cornwallis Mann, an electrical engineer saw an advertisement for an Electrical Installation business in Norwich. He bought it – the business was located at 2 Redwell Street. Laurence Scott & Company who wanted to concentrate on the manufacture of electric motors sold the business. Mr Mann kept on many of the former Laurence Scott Employees. New showrooms were opened at the corner of Queen Street and Bank Plain.
1900: Mr Mann went into partnership with Hubert Winfield Egerton who was a well-known, keen motorist. The two men started a new business in the motor trade at premises located at number 5 Prince of Wales Road. At the time there were only two cars in the showroom and four in the works. The first car sold was a Locomobile Steam car. Floor space available at that time was less than 1,000 feet.
1905: Mann Egerton & Company Ltd was formed.
1906: By this time the Company were acting as Agents for many makes of car and had garage accommodation for 200 cars. The Company also built up a used car trade and gained a good reputation for reliability and quality. International trade was even taking place with Mann Egerton shipping cars to New Zealand. Whilst the motor side of the business was expanding so was the electrical side of the Company as buildings were being supplied with new electricity supplies. They had contracts with the Royal Naval Cordite factory, Torpedo Ranges at Weymouth, Air Sheds at Pulham and the War Office Camps at Mousehold, Norwich.
1909: Charles Rolls and Henry Royce began a close association with Mr Mann and Mr Egerton. In this year the Company mounted their first body, a Landaulette, on a Rolls Royce chassis. This was carried out at the premises in Cromer Road. This was the beginning of many such Rolls Royce bodies supplied to Mann Egerton customers.
1910: Hubert Egerton decided to leave the business in this year.
1912: Much building took place and one of these was one of the first re-enforced concrete buildings in the country.
1913: By this year the Company had branches throughout the Eastern Counties and also in London. Mann Egerton & Company Ltd had become recognised as Specialist Coachbuilders and was recognised as a provider of superior workmanship.
1915: The Admiralty requested the Company to begin making aeroplanes. The Company was given a War loan and this enabled them to buy 60 acres of open land at Cromer Road.
1916: To enable construction to be carried out, a huge wooden hangar was built on this land in this year – it was 200 feet long and 100 feet wide. By the end of this year aeroplanes were being constructed at Cromer Road. A ‘flying field’ was constructed – this was a triangular shape. Many of the coachbuilding and repair buildings were turned to aircraft construction building purposes. During the War years the Company were given the responsibility of maintaining thousands of tractors being used in the War effort.
1920: During the Annual Meeting of the Company this year, Mr Mann stated that the profit for the year was lower than envisaged at £37,540 due to the miners strike and a general slump in business.
1922: This year, the Company were listed as Electrical Engineers based at 21 & 23 King Street - and Motor Engineers, based at numbers 5, 7 & 13 Prince of Wales Road, also at 25 King Street and Greyfriars. The Agricultural Motor Department was based at 18 – 22 Prince of Wales Road.
1934: Fire damaged premises at Aylsham Road and cost about £10,000 to repair.
1939: The Company stopped attending the London Motor Show and ceased their coachbuilding activities. They were commissioned to produce vehicles for the Government and this included ambulances and Troop Carriers. Altogether, 4,000 were made and 3,000 were repaired. Mann Egerton installed the first radar station in the whole of East Anglia.
1941: Gerald Mann died this year.
1955: This year, a new depot was built and the Ford Depot in King Street was transferred there
1962: The Chairman, Mr A W Paton retired. This year the ‘Tern in flight’ symbol was used (only in black and white) – to be put on all vehicles supplied and stationery used.
1964: By this year the Company had experienced many years of prosperity. The demand for motor vehicles had increased massively and the Woodworking department had supplied many thousands of items to London County Council (including 15,000 desks for London schools), Universities and other local authorities. The Engineering Works were sold to Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company. This year, the former site of the Engineering Works was converted into a Specialist Vehicle Centre.
1965: A new Commercial Vehicle Centre was opened in Cromer Road this year.
1973: Inchcape & Company bought Mann Egerton and Company for 17.5 million
1974: Richard Hawksley resigned and was succeeded by Mr JWD Campbell who became Executive Chairman of the Contract woodworking part of the business and he assumed responsibility for the motor part of the business in 1971.
1986: The Jaguar car sales etc was transferred to Cromer Road. The furniture part of the business was sold to the management team of the time. The sale of this part of the business ended any involvement in business not related to the motor industry.

Bibliography

Trades and Industries of Norwich Joyce Gurney-Read