Sangamo – proudly manufacturing in the UK for 100 years
It was acquired as a new business by Scolmore Group in 2018 and added to the ESP product portfolio, but Sangamo’s origins actually date back 100 years. A specialist supplier of time switches and heating controls, Sangamo has built up an excellent reputation and an extensive product range over the years.
The company was founded in 1921 under the name British Sangamo, as the UK subsidiary of the Sangamo Electric Co. of Springfield, Illinois, USA. From its site in Ponders End, Middlesex, the company initially manufactured kilowatt hour meters, later expanding its activities to include industrial time switches.
In 1936 Sangamo acquired the British Weston Electrical Instrument Co. of Surbiton, Surrey. This company was the United Kingdom subsidiary of the Weston Electrical Instrument Corporation, of Newark, New Jersey, USA, a company founded by Dr Weston, a pioneer in the field of electrical measurements, and recognised as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electrical measuring and associated equipment.
The two companies were combined to form Sangamo Weston, which designed and manufactured a wide range of electrical measuring and control equipment. Sangamo Weston became associated with products for the aviation industry and as a result, devoted its entire resources during the Second World War to the production of measuring instruments, indicators and associated ancillary equipment for use on aircrafts.
After the Second World War, resources were put back into the original product lines, but they continued to design and manufacture aircraft measuring instruments, indicators, measuring systems and associated equipment for customers all over the world.
In 1950 the Port Glasgow factory and offices were officially opened, and it is from this site that the company continues to operate today. This location just outside Glasgow gives Scolmore the perfect manufacturing base and regional office to service customers all over Scotland and the north of England.
For the last 70 years, Sangamo has been manufacturing its famous Round Pattern Time Switches to the same high standard that was first achieved back in the 1950’s. With over 11 million units sold to date, the installation of a Sangamo Round Pattern Time Switch (RPTS) used to be a regular job for many electricians. Today, despite the electro-mechanical time switches being less common, the company still reports sales of thousands of units each year, both as replacements and as brand new installations.
ESP continues to invest in Sangamo and made a significant investment earlier this year to develop the range of timers and heating controls. The revamped range showcases brand new products, as well as enhancements and improvements to existing products and introduces key features that are designed to boost the products’ energy saving properties. With energy efficiency top of the agenda for the economy, businesses and householders, a key aim of the revamp was to introduce features that will assist with efficiency and performance and that will ultimately drive down energy usage and costs.
ESP will continue to develop the Sangamo range and is currently working on further new products to be launched in due course.