Private company | |
Industry | Manufacturing and Distribution |
Predecessor |
R A Lister and Company Petters Limited |
Founded | 1986 |
Founder | Hawker Siddeley (Merger) |
Headquarters | Hardwicke, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England |
Products | Engines, generator sets and associated services |
Brands | Lister, Petter |
Owner |
Hawker Siddeley (1986-1996) Schroders Venture Capital (1996-2000) EGL Group (2012-present) |
Parent | EGL Group |
Lister Petter is a British company that manufactures internal combustion engines for industry, a subsidiary of Birmingham, England based EGL Group.
The company was formed in 1986, after owner Hawker Siddeley Group Plc merged Dursley, Gloucestershire based R A Lister and Company (acquired in 1965), with Yeovil, Somerset based Petters Limited (acquired in 1957).
In 1992, Hawker Siddeley Group Plc was acquired by BTR plc for £1.5bn. In 1999 BTR merged with Siebe to form BTR Siebe plc, which was renamed Invensys plc. In preparation, BTR sold-off any subsidiary operations, including Lister-Petter in 1996 to Schroders Venture Capital.
In 2000, with Schroders looking to exit, the firm was bought through a £13.5M management buyout, enabled through selling the original Listers factory site to the South West Regional Development Agency. By this timer, the core engine products were in demise, and the company employing around 250 people on a turnover of £35M. Costing cutting measures included closing the award winning foundry in 2001, which had been one of the most advanced in Europe when it opened in 1937. In 2003, the company fell into its first administration.
Both companies produced a range of small diesel engines, ranging from single-cylinder water-cooled engines of 2.7 horsepower (the 'Zeta' series) up to the 64 horsepower (48 kW) 'Delta' engine. One higher-power engine of up to 335 horsepower (250 kW), the 'Omega' is also produced under licence. The engine designs range from more recent design high-speed turbodiesels (such as the 'Gamma' or 'Omega' engines) to traditional single-cylinder medium-speed types such as the 'A-Series' and 'Phi' types.