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Guest Keen & Nettlefolds, Its Formation and Early Years 1900–14

In: A History of GKN

Author

Listed:
  • Edgar Jones

Abstract

The latter part of the nineteenth century and years before the outbreak of the Great War have been associated with the emergence of the large-scale company in Britain.1 The two mergers, which brought together the Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds companies were part of this movement of consolidation and growth. Ranked according to the nominal value of issued capital, GKN stood at fifteenth in 1905 (with assets of £4,536,000) and was then the leading iron, steel and coal group in Britain; only the following related industrial businesses were larger: Vickers, Sons & Maxim (sixth) and Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. (eleventh).2 This categorisation of the fifty largest companies has recently been revised to include a number of omissions, but the changes have not affected GKN’s position at fifteenth and the claim that it was among the very largest integrated coal-steel-engineering groups in Britain. Another listing, calculated for 1919 on the market value of quoted capital, together with an estimate of the value of unquoted capital (based upon nominal values and dividend yields), has been compiled and shows GKN at sixteenth with £8.2 million. The only related industrial companies higher in the ranking were Armstrong, Whitworth (eleventh with £12.2 million), United Steel (tenth with £13.2 million) and Vickers (fourth with £19.5 million).4

Suggested Citation

  • Edgar Jones, 1987. "Guest Keen & Nettlefolds, Its Formation and Early Years 1900–14," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: A History of GKN, chapter 11, pages 361-378, Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-1-349-06629-2_11
    DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-06629-2_11
    as

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