Oilgear Towler
Oilgear stands on the shoulders of Towler and Olmsted as it looks towards the future.
Oilgear (previously Oilgear Towler) has over 90 years’ experience as a leading figure in the design and manufacture of electro-hydraulic packages. The brand now operates on a global scale, across many markets. Oilgear works in partnership with its customers to offer a full service which includes component manufacture, system design and installation, in-house testing capabilities and complete aftermarket services to keep hydraulic systems operating efficiently year after year.
Of course looking towards a bright future doesn’t mean that Oilgear will forget about its impressive history. Both Towler Hydraulics and Olmsted Products are brands which are owned by Oilgear and have been influential in shaping the course of the company’s history. Much like Oilgear, these two brands are synonymous with quality hydraulic engineering. The products and services that they have always offered are very much a part of Oilgear’s on-going DNA.
Towler Brothers Ltd. was formed in 1935 by Frank and John Towler, who were pioneers in the changeover from water to oil as a medium for transmitting power. The company first became known for its high-speed pumps, but through growth and acquisition Towler Hydraulics became a leading UK hydraulics manufacturer and solutions provider for complete hydraulic systems. In 1985 the business was acquired by Oilgear.
As Oilgear Towler, the Leeds-based manufacturing and service centre became part of a global entity. The traditional Towler capabilities were combined with Oilgear to offer improved reliability, efficiency and quality to its traditional industrial markets, as well as a new base of customers in sectors as diverse as Energy, Subsea, Mobile, Marine, Civil and Aerospace. The original pioneering spirit of the Towler Brothers lives on as Oilgear starts its new chapter.
Olmsted Products has over 40 years’ experience manufacturing speciality high-flow, high-pressure hydraulic valves and control systems. Throughout its history it has provided sophisticated solutions for various markets, with particular popularity within the marine and offshore markets. Olmsted Products is now a subsidiary of Oilgear, and its industry expertise has been instrumental in the company’s successful growth into emerging markets such as Subsea. For example, DNV and ABS-rated manifolds from the Olmsted Products division can now be found on almost every modern drillship in the world.
Now re-branded Oilgear, the business has a proud message that it is the only engineering company that solves hydraulic problems for customers with demanding applications in every corner of the globe. Of course, this bold claim is only possible thanks to the history and strength of the company’s brands such as Towler and Olmsted.
A new chapter has been opened in the company’s history with a global programme of investment in manufacturing, in-house testing and aftermarket services. The traditional services of Oilgear, Towler and Olmsted are now available to a global customer base.
Towler Brothers Adverisement from 1943
Image courtesy of Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History
