History E. S. & A. Robinson

an invoice raised es&a robinson in 1925 general stationery , showing illustrations of es&a buildings of era in bristol.

the company founded in 1844 elisha smith robinson joined brother alfred in 1848. company prospered making paper bags grocery stores , branched out printing items such tradesman s almanack, elaborate notepapers , bound ledgers.

by 1860 company had eleven lithographic presses, 2 lithographic machines worked steam power , machine making paper bags. paper merchants held greatest supply of paper in firm in kingdom.

in 1870, after further enlargement of premises in redcliffe street, elisha declared architect, builders , clerk of works: gentlemen, have finest printing factory in west of england, , neither nor come after me ever want enlarge it. 1887 company had new block of buildings @ bedminster, , in turn suffice company 5 years.

this block of buildings, formerly colour printing factory located in bedminster, still standing , in use today. part of site occupied cameron balloons , five-storey factory building has been developed residential apartments. converted robinson building , east street church today contains on 100 homes.

robinsons acquired printing works of ensor & co. in marsh street in 1872.

in 1873 elisha robinson bought rights american patent paper satchel bag (inventor: margaret e. knight) in addition making everyday shopping easier, revolutionized trade in paper packaging of materials such portland cement , flour.

elisha s sons edward , arthur robinson joined company respectively in 1869 , 1874.

elisha smith robinson died in 1885.

a technique stumbled upon in 1887 american paper dealer robert gair led mass production of cartons , folding boxes; accelerated growth of bedminster , later fishponds operations.

in 1889 1 week s paid holiday granted employees service of year or more. @ time wider business community considered innovative , overly generous. robinsons continued demonstrate balanced reaction emerging trade union influences, , later industry leaders in introduction of pensions , profit-sharing schemes.

edward , arthur robinson turned business limited company in 1893.

a mr benwell, manager of bag making, chanced in 1902 upon idea printing on bags. demand bags printed logos , advertising proved enormous , hundred million ordered within few weeks of process being operational. patent later sold union bag company (later union camp corporation).

the malago factory completed in 1912 , 1930 producing 25 million bags per week.

robinsons acquired john laird & son ltd, printers in glasgow, in 1918 , strachan & henshaw engineering company in 1920.

in 1920 e s & robinson (south africa) ltd incorporated, , later paper sacks (south africa) ltd.

in 1924 robinson waxed paper co. ltd incorporated; 1929 exported wax paper fishponds factory new zealand, malaya, china, india, ceylon, west indies, egypt, palestine, iceland, denmark , sweden.

e s & robinson (canada) ltd founded in toronto in 1932.

company engineers developed in 1940 aircraft template reproduction process adopted whole of british aircraft industry. process received commendation sir stafford cripps significant contribution war effort.

foster robinson appointed chairman in 1944.

the company acquired de havilland heron aircraft in 1955 ferry company executives , technicians.

a new headquarters (and bristol s first skyscraper) designed in-house architects between 1962 , 1964, , built @ 1 redcliffe street, bristol.

robinsons merged john dickinson stationery in 1966 form dickinson robinson group (drg), creating 1 of world s largest stationery , packaging companies. products high public profile included sellotape , basildon bond.

between 1974 , 1979 drg acquired papeteries de la couronne, j. arthur dixon, royal sovereign , john heath.

roland franklin (pembridge investments) acquired drg in 1989 leveraged buyout worth £900m, fuelling debate within british electorate asset stripping of established british companies , causing discomfort amongst many remaining robinson shareholders. drew criticism london s financial times short-termism.

bowater (now rexam) acquired drg packaging in 1992.

in 1990 drg stationery sold biber holdings of switzerland. name changed john dickinson stationery limited. in 2008 bought , rebranded hamelin.