The Pyrene Company Limited

The Pyrene Company Limited from their beginning in 1914, until 1971 when they became Chubb Fire Security Limited, were among the world's leaders in the manufacture of fire fighting equipment. The name Pyrene was epitomised by their famous 'pump' extinguisher which was installed on public transport, commercial and private vehicles throughout the western world.

In 1907, a Scottish engineer, unable to get financial backing in the UK, took his idea for a fire extinguisher to the US. He established what became known as the Pyrene Company of Delaware in 1909.

A British offshoot, The Pyrene Company Limited was founded in 1914 when Wallace B. Phillips, an American businessman set up in Great Queen Street, London, selling 'pump' extinguishers. The company moved to Grosvenor Gardens, London in 1918, and then to Stoke Newington in 1920, where a factory to manufacture soda-acid and foam fire extinguishers was established.

The London General Omnibus Company awarded Pyrene the contract for its fire extinguishers in 1924.

In 1927, a metal-finishing division was established, which developed the Parkerizing process for metal rust-proofing. It's Pyrene Company Limited sold part of the chemical division to the Brent International Chemical Company which was a stand-alone specialty chemical company who manufactured a variety of industrial cleaning compounds. Pyrene only retained rights to manufacture the off patent firefighting chemicals. Brent continued to manufacture the firefighting chemicals globally for Pyrene for several years until Pyrene redeveloped the chemistry side of their business. Brent America was sold to Oakite and was later acquired by Chemetall GMBH.

Pyrene moved to a new Art Deco style factory in 1930, located on the Great West Road, Brentford and established the concept of major fire demonstrations with the construction of a large demonstration ground alongside the Brentford factory, to simulate an oil storage depot.

Pyrene Phomene installations were fitted to many ships during the 1930s, and the 'car bumper' division became well established and by 1960 was producing approximately one third of the car bumpers used in the UK motor industry.

1931 saw the company's equipment providing protection for such events as Brooklands, the RAF Pageant Hendon, and the Tidworth and Aldershot Tattoos.

The liner Queen Mary was protected by the installation of a Pyrene foam fire-fighting system in 1933.

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