Tomkins was founded in 1925 as F.H. Tomkins Buckle Company, a small manufacturer of buckles and fasteners.[6] It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1956.
In 1983, ex-Lord Hanson employee Greg Hutchings acquired a 22.9% stake in the company, and subsequently was appointed Chief executive.[7] Hutchings expanded Tomkins in a classical conglomerate form through leveraged buyouts, and during the 1980s and early 1990s the company embarked on a succession of acquisitions which rapidly grew its revenue, product range and global reach. Major acquisitions included Smith & Wesson in 1987,[8]RHM in 1992,[9] the US-based Gates Corporation in 1996,[10] which signalled a move into the industrial and automotive markets, and the Stant[11] and Schrader[12] businesses that further bolstered this division. During this era, Tomkins was regarded as the archetypal multi-industrial conglomerate, with a portfolio of assets that had little or nothing in common with one another – and indeed the media delighted in referring to Tomkins as the "buns-to-guns" company[13] because of its ownership of RHM (baking) and Smith & Wesson (firearms).
Hutchings was forced to resign from the company in 2000, over a series of false allegations of executive excess.[7] Tomkins sold RHM shortly thereafter,[9] and Smith & Wesson the following year.[8]
