Hymac Excavators

[IBH]

1st NEI Hymac 1984.jpg

The book The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story. Part Three: A Family of Engines by Peter Pugh contains a concise and informative history of Northern Engineering Industries (NEI) PLC, its acquisition by Rolls-Royce and subsequent life after being integrated into R-R.
It also includes short and informative histories of Clark Chapman and Reyrolle Parsons who combined to form NEI.
Following the collapse of IBH Holding AG in late 1983, NEI acquired Hymac and set up a new business called NEI Thompson Hymac,
Peter Pugh's book indicates that during 1986-87 NEI went through a period of rationalisation under the chairmanship of Duncan McDonald and Chief Executive Terry Harrison to refocus NEI on "core activities" involving the disposal of "...John Thompson's [Sic] excavator and heavy truck production". This is referring to Hymac and Haulamatic which were both owned by NEI Thompson and the respective products were built in the NEI Thompson works at Ettingshall. NEI also closed 14 of its 38 factories, made 5,800 people redundant and sold two electronics businesses in the USA (Extel and IPM) that were unsuccessful diversifications.
Photographs of the first NEI Hymac product built - a 580D in 1984 - rolling off the NEI Thompson production line can be found here:
https://www.blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB149_D-EXP_P_I44_53

Also, there is a photograph of what appears to be an NEI Hymac 450E or 450ELC of Hanomag design

NEI Hymac 1984 production.jpg

https://www.blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB149_D-EXP_P_I44_48

[IBH]

According to the 1983 Annual Report for NEI PLC available on the Companies House website, NEI payed a "consideration of approximately £1.8m" to "purchase the business and certain related assets of Hymac Ltd" from the Receivers of Hymac.

[essexpete]

A lot can be found on Companies House.
I suppose Hymac was another British product that was almost but not quite.

[XS650]

Anyone know what model this is.
121 or 141 maybe ?
Seen in a French film.

Craig

[IBH]

A 1963 UK trade press advert for then Hy-Mac HM 480.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Anyone know what model this is.
121 or 141 maybe ?
Seen in a French film.

Craig

I think this is the larger 181

Jeremy

[XS650]

Thanks Jeremy.
If the man who wrote the book on Hymac says 181 thats good enough for me !
Was asked the question over on IMCDB where I am considered the British plant man
Looks odd in red.

Craig

[essexpete]

Thanks Jeremy.
If the man who wrote the book on Hymac says 181 thats good enough for me !
Was asked the question over on IMCDB where I am considered the British plant man
Looks odd in red.

Craig

Perhaps the rest of the fleet were Poclain!

[XS650]

I did think that myself !

[Jeremy Rowland]

I did think that myself !

Pete, Craig, yes I must confess at the initial glance I thought it looked a bit like a Poclain 81, certainly early Poclain style livery.

Jeremy