The Selwood Years

Founder William R Selwood The William R. Selwood story began in post World War Two Britain – a country facing an incredibly vast programme of rebuilding and rehabilitation, a programme that demanded enormous resources of construction plant and equipment and which offered opportunities to far-sighted businessmen with practical experience of site machinery.

One such was a Welshman from Neath – William R. Selwood.

1946 William R. Selwood founded in West End Southampton
1947 Selwood moves to old school site at Chandler’s Ford (present HQ)
1951 Selwood becomes a limited company
1952 Selwood expands into plant hire and obtains Benford agency
1954 Dinkum digger agency aquired
1957 Greens rollers bought for hire fleet
1959 First branch opens at Exeter. Drott skid shovels purchased
1961 Press invited to see “Orbital Engine”
1964 Shmiedag franchise added
1965 3” Spate pump introduced
1966 Bristol branch opens
1967 Whitlock excavator sales booming
1968 6” Spate prototype
1968 William R. Selwood dies aged 55yrs. Peter Selwood appointed Technical Director
1970 Bomag franchise
1971 Spate gets Industrial Design Award
1972 Selwood sold to Thomas Tilling Limited
1973 First computer installed
1975 Peter Selwood killed in plane crash
1977 Queens Award for industry
1979 Seven more branches opened
1981 Seltorque 80A introduced
1982 Branch network increases by a third
1982 Tilling group creates PASCON by merging Palmers, Selwood & Croker
1982 Komatsu franchise
1983 BTR aquire the Tilling group
1994 Management buyout of Pascon
1995 Pascon acquires MK pump hire
1996 New Livery introduced - Selwood Man
1997 Anglia Pumps and G+H McGill acquired
1998 Selwood Storm pump gains SED award
1999 Pascon name dropped, reverting to Selwood after 2nd management buyout
2000 RoSPA Gold award
2001 Selwood acquires Pyramid Plant
2003 New pump range launched
2004 New range of Super Silent pumps launched
2005 Selwood accredited to 14001 and holds all three recognised quality,safety and environmental standards
2006 Celebrates 60th anniversary and raises £60k for charity
2008 Selwood acquires Glohire
2008 Selwood acquires Proplant

Old Selwood logo Click to enlarge - Group photo Click to enlarge -  School Lane site Click to enlarge - Selwood plant Click to enlarge - Christmas tree tradition at Selwood from years gone by