BSP-TEX History
Steam Powered
Our story begins in 1905, with the British Steel Piling company, founded by Edward Le Bas. BSP designed and manufactured sheet piles and steam-powered piling hammers. The companies 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
1905: 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.
