COURTAULDS, LIMITED. This British joint-stock com pany has had a continuous existence since 1825, and the old firm of Samuel Courtauld and Company, Limited, the predecessors of the present company, had a wide reputation for mourning crepes manufactured from natural silk. In 1904 the company commenced the manufacture of artificial silk yarns by the viscose process at Coventry.
The company produces not only yarn but fabrics; the pro ductions range from delicate natural silk georgette and crepe-de Chine to furnishing brocades for upholstery purposes. The weav ing mills are situated in Essex at Braintree and Halstead, in Yorkshire at Halifax, and in Lancashire at Leigh. The dyeing of both yarn and fabrics is conducted in Essex and Lancashire.
For the manufacture of artificial silk yarns and allied products, the company operates two large mills at Coventry, two at Flint, and one at Wolverhampton, where a second mill was in 1928 in course of construction. In addition to these spinning mills, proc essing of yarns is carried out in special mills at Coventry, Nunea ton and Leigh. Courtaulds also own large chemical works at Trafford Park, Manchester. Abroad, Courtaulds have an artificial silk yarn mill at Cornwall, Ontario, and yarn processing works in Spain, Denmark and India. The head offices are situated in St. Martin's-Le-Grand, London.
The capital of the concern is £3 2,000,000, consisting of 24, 000,000 ordinary shares of Li each and 8,000,000 5% preference shares of Li. (L. C. M.)