BSP-TEX History

Steam Powered

Our story begins in 1906, with the British Steel Piling company, founded by Edward Le Bas. BSP designed and manufactured sheet piles and steam-powered piling hammers. The company's influence continued to grow and for many years, it was also involved in the manufacture of drilling, earth boring and tunnelling machines.

 

 

During the early 1970s, the newly nationalized British Steel Corporation took over the marketing of all UK-produced steel sheet piling, and BSP made a global impact. BSP was acquired by Tex Holdings plc in 1989 and more recently incorporated into the TEX GROUP.

The BSP-TEX head office is in Great Blakenham (Ipswich, UK), located alongside the original factory and railway, and surrounded by some of the TEX GROUP manufacturing facilities.

Today, over 80 per cent of the company’s piling hammer and RIC products are exported and BSP-TEX is represented in approximately 30 countries.

 

Timeline

1906: British Steel Piling Company Formed, Millwall, London 

1910: Supplier of steel sheet piles, drop hammers and piling rigs

1914: By 1914, the earliest versions of BSP steam/air piling hammers had evolved, as well as equipment for extracting piles.

1916: BSP Pocket Book introduced for Military Installations

1920: Alfred Hiley appointed as a Director of BSP

1921: Manufacturing moves to Great Blakenham, Ipswich

1924: Patent for Vibro Cast in Place System with Alfred Hiley

1930: Worldwide licenses for Vibro Pile System

1945: Development of Diesel Hammers – BSP DE20, DE30 & DE40

1950: Manufacturing of spiral weld pipe for pile castings

1952: Introduction of 12 and 15t steam operated hammers

1969: Launch of BSP TERRADRILL range of earth boring machines

1970: Development and launch of hydraulic hammers

1980: Quantity 560 of the HH357-9 hydraulic hammers produced to date

1988: BSI – BS EN ISO 9001:2000 Quality Accreditation

1989: Tex Holdings acquires BSP (Edward Le Bas)

2000: Tex Holdings acquired Allied Kiosks & Enclosures

2001: CX Hammer range Launched at Bauma

2003: Tex Holdings purchased Bitmen Products Limited (road surfacing and construction equipment)

2004: Tex Holdings acquired Barter Burners from the Aeromatix Group

2005: 100 Year Celebrations

2008: Acquired Springwood Engineering, a leading manufacturer of truck mounted and self-propelled machines for screed, spray, extrusion, and profile methods of thermoplastic road marking

2011: Acquired RM Trailers, specialist designer and manufacturer of commercial trailers for transporting generators, industrial pipes, decontamination plant, satellite broadcasting kit, portable toilets, and sound testing equipment. Their range of recreational trailers are designed to carry lake, river, and ocean-going craft, including sail boats.

2018: Acquired Argento UK (established 2004), a sheet metal company with specialist knowledge of manufacturing a wide range of precision sub-assemblies. Their expertise lies in the assembly of electromechanical systems in metal or plastic housings, enclosures, and cabinets.