The metalworking machinery manufacturer Kitchen & Wade Ltd. was established in 1918 in Halifax, England. Their first product was a heavy radial drilling machine, and that type of machine would be their mainstay for the rest of their existence. In 1922, for example, they introduced a 48-inch radial drill with an auxiliary spindle for tapping operations.
In 1927 they introduced a machine specialized for drilling and reaming automobile crankshafts. That machine was developed expressly for British auto manufacturer Morris Motors Ltd. Over the years Kitchen & Wade would introduce a number of machines for use in automotive manufacture.
In 1931 Kitchen & Wade acquired shaper manufacturer Ormerod Brothers, and reorganized them as a subsidiary, Ormerod Shapers Ltd.
In 1936 Kitchen & Wade was reorganized as a public corporation. In 1959 they were acquired by Asquith Machine Tool Corp., which operated both Kitchen & Wade Ltd. and Ormerod Shapers Ltd. as direct subsidiaries. Ormerod Shapers was shut down in 1967 and the following year Kitchen & Wade was also shut down.
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