The Merger

Abstract

Alpha Plastics, situated near Manchester, was founded in the immediate post-war years by two young industrial chemists, Trevor Knight and Bernard Tracey. With the boom in plastics the firm expanded rapidly and by the mid-1960s it had developed into a medium-sized company employing some 6,000 people. The firm built up its reputation in developing and manufacturing a wide range of laminates and industrial adhesives which were sold under the trade mark of Alphalam — now a household name. As a result of an earlier take-over it had also acquired interests in synthetic fibre manufacture. Despite its rapid growth the firm has always had a reputation for looking after its employees. Possibly because of the good rates of pay, excellent working conditions, and the understanding informality which always characterised Alpha’s management, union membership was low. Attempts at recruitment, though never obstructed by the management, were largely unsuccessful. There was always a well-developed sense of loyalty to the firm with a high level of morale.