Firth Brown: A Sheffield Steel Company

The Firth Brown company was formed in 1930 after the amalgamation of Thomas Firth & Sons and John Brown & Co. Known throughout the world, their products were exported to all five continents. Both companies were at the forefront of technological development and they combined to form one of Sheffield's largest employers.

Stainless steel was developed in the Brown-Firth research laboratories in 1913. This lead to the great alloy steel industry which still makes Sheffield a high quality steel producing city today. During the Second World War, Firth Brown produced over half a million armour piercing shells and bombs, over 60,000 tons of armour plate for ships and tanks, nearly half a million forgings and over 150,000 tons of special steels.

Firth Brown: A Sheffield Steel Company gives us an insight into one of the greatest steel companies in Britain. With associated companies in Scunthorpe, Darnall and Clydebank, Firth Brown procuded high quality steel castings and forgings for various industries in this country and around the world. For former employees this book will be a reminder of bygone days and for those too young to remember the heady days of Sheffield steel, it will show how our parents and grandparents forged and cast the goods that kept British industry moving.