1. Spark of an Idea (1878 – 1887)
We began in 1878 when Colonel R. E. B. Crompton designed a steadier, brighter arc lamp and opened our first works in Chelmsford. From lighting Windsor Castle to installing the UK’s first underground cables, our early years were packed with firsts.
2. Lighting Landmarks (1880s)
By the end of the decade we’d illuminated railway stations at King’s Cross and Glasgow, the Crystal Palace, and even trains on the Great Eastern Railway. When folks thought “electric light,” they thought Crompton.
3. Powering Progress (1890 – 1910)
From Vienna State Opera House to the first electric tram cars, we pushed boundaries worldwide. We also built the world’s largest generator for Britain’s first arc furnace – proving bulbs weren’t our only bright idea.
4. A New Century of Light (1911 – 1950)
Auto-synchronous motors, the move into gas-filled incandescent lamps, and wartime innovations kept us busy. When fluorescent tubes hit the market, we were right there, sleeves rolled up.
5. Reinvention & Resilience (1951 – 2000)
Takeovers, management buy-outs, the Guiseley factory boom – and eventually the big move to Bradford. Through every twist we stayed faithful to one goal: giving you light that works first time, every time.
6. Digital Glow (2000 – Today)
LEDs, smart lamps, and our online stores LightBulbs Direct and Simply LED keep us shining in the 21st century. Same promise, new tech: reliable light that keeps your world bright.
Fast-Track Timeline
- 1878 – First Crompton arc lamps; Chelmsford factory opens
- 1881 – Windsor Castle lit; Crystal Palace gleams
- 1890s – Public AC supply plants worldwide
- 1920s – Merger with F.&A. Parkinson, lamp production scales up
- 1950s – Fluorescent tubes, colour-glazed bulbs roll out
- 2006 – Head office moves to Bradford
- 2010s – E-commerce brands join the family