News: The Gummers name 140 years on

A name with strong links to Rotherham's industrial and civic past is surviving, 140 years after William Gummer started the Effingham Brass Works in the town.

The Gummer name made Rotherham famous across the world with the company supplying fine quality bath and WC fittings for hospitals, ships and hotels including the Ritz and the Strand in London.

Tamworth-based Bristan Group acquired the name in 2006 and have now decided to rebrand A & J Gummers as Bristan.

In 1871, William Gummer started the Effingham Brass Works in Glasshouse Lane, Kilnhurst with Tom Greenwood who had worked at Guest & Chrimes, another famous Rotherham brass founders. William's son, George joined the firm in 1875 and by 1877, the firm had outgrown the site and moved to a new site in Rawmarsh Road close to the town centre.

In 1890, William passed the business on to George and his other son, William Guest Gummer and the company became a private limited company, G & WG Gummer Ltd. By this time the firm employed 130 people and this grew to 300 by 1909.

The company was exporting brass products across the world, supplying fittings for hotels, hospitals, Turkish baths and even the RMS Mauretania, the largest and fastest ship in the world at the time. Their fittings could also be found on five battleships used in World War II and HMS Ark Royal.

George Gummer also made his mark closer to home as an Alderman for 28 years and he was elected as Mayor of Rotherham three times from 1899. He was instrumental in improving the town including a series of street developments and was also the founder of the first local football league and in charge of Rotherham Town when they entered the Football League in 1893.

In 1955, Gummers Ltd was purchased by a Birmingham company but continued to operate in Rotherham. However, a takeover by Pentos Engineering in 1975 saw production move to Birmingham two years later, and 230 jobs in Rotherham were lost.

The name came back in 1985 as A & J Gummers, who went on to make products such as the "Sirrus" shower range and following a buyout by US-based MASCO Corp in 1999, the company was eventually moved into their UK subsidiary, Bristan in 2006.

Whilst this year's rebranding sees the name removed from the business, the legacy will live on with some products retaining the Gummers name.

Jeremy Ling, CEO of Bristan Group, said: "By bringing Gummers together with Bristan, we can achieve even greater success in the future.

"Our comprehensive range is the perfect marriage of two brands: the distinctive design and style associated with Bristan and the Gummers legacy of safety, durability and rigorous quality standards in commercial water controls.

"There's an exciting future ahead and we aim to make William Gummer proud of what we achieve."

Bristan website

Images: Bristan / rotherham.gov.uk