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Gents' of Leicester, also known as Gents & Company Limited, was established in Leicester, England, in 1872 by John Thomas Gent. For over a century, the company was a well-known manufacturer of electrical equipment, in particular its electric clocks, which were used in public buildings and railway stations all over the world.
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Products
The company also produced fire alarm systems, electric bells, transformers, telephones, signalling and recording equipment, and electrical parts for aircraft communications and radar equipment. The company had a workforce of several hundreds at its height.
Location
Its main design and manufacturing centre and headquarters were at the Faraday Works in Temple Road, Leicester; but after World War II, the company expanded into nearby Kibworth. A premises at London Road was also used at this time. In the early 1990s a new large building was constructed in the Hamilton area of Leicester and the other buildings were all closed.
Takeovers
In 1981, Gents' of Leicester was taken over by the international organisation Chloride, and was known as "Chloride Gent". In 1982, the company was sold by Chloride to the MK Electric Group, and was then known as "Gent Limited". The factory at Kibworth closed, and only a few jobs remained at the central Leicester works. In 1993, the company was acquired by Caradon/Novar; and in 2005, it was taken over by Honeywell, and has been known as "Gent by Honeywell" since. Still based in Leicester, the company is now mostly involved with fire detection and alarm systems.