Morgan Crucible has travelled on a terrific journey over the last 150 years. Our story is one of evolution, overcoming adversity and, ultimately, success. 

The Morgan brothers’ entrepreneurial spirit
The Patent Plumbago Crucible Company (as Morgan Crucible was originally known) was founded in 1856 in London by the Morgan brothers, when they secured a licence to sell American-built crucibles in the UK. Soon the brothers began manufacturing crucibles, not only for England’s Royal Mint but also for mints in India, France and Germany. Thus the brothers, eight out of ten of whom worked in the business, laid the foundations of a company whose products were in demand throughout the world. 

20th century: expanding overseas
In the early 20th Century Morgan Crucible diversified its product range and developed a range of carbon brushes for the rapidly expanding electricity industry. Manufacturing expansion overseas soon followed, with sites in New York, Russia and Germany. At home, a sizeable factory was established in Battersea, south London, which continued to supply the world with foundry products until the early 1970s, when our main carbon production was moved to Morriston, South Wales.

A world of advanced materials
The second half of the 20th century is a story of steady expansion. By the early 1990s, prompted by a strong acquisition strategy, Morgan Crucible owned 200 companies in 80 countries. This proved to be too much too quickly and, after a very dark period, the 21st Century has witnessed a remarkable turnaround in its fortunes. We passed our 150th anniversary in 2006 confident of our prospects for the future.

History timeline

An animated showcase of our history can be accessed by applying the link below.

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History timeline
 

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