Established in 1932, this firm started repairing electric motors but by the advent of World War II they had greatly expanded and were manufacturing electric motors in quantity for the war effort. By their heyday in the 1960s their motor factory in Yate employed over 5000 people. The company appears to have had aspirations as a conglomerate and they had diversified operations spanning North America, South America, Asia and Australia.

The Yate factory closed in 1988 and the company seems to have disappeared without a trace.

We have also seen the name Newman Electric Motors Ltd. of Yate, Bristol. This seems to be a later name but that is a topic for further research. In 1999, that firm had £0 in assets and, £252,000 in liabilities and a net worth of £11.8 million.

Higgs Motors Ltd. of Birmingham was a subsidiary.

Information Sources

• The "Newman" logo was trademarked in the U.S. on 1953-06-02, for use on electric motors. The application was filed 1951-05-28. Trademark serial number 71613305. The trademark expired 1994-03-07.
• 1964 edition of Who Owns Whom? lists subsidiaries of Newman Industries Ltd. The entries that we can see via Google Books' snippet mode are
  • Higgs Motors Ltd., Birmingham 6
  • Newman Electric Motors de Venezuela C. A.
• 1971 Oil and Gas International Year Book lists Newman Industries, Ltd., Yate, Bristol, Glos., as a maker of electric motors.
• 1978 edition of Who Owns Whom? lists subsidiaries of Newman Industries Ltd. The entries that we can see via Google Books' snippet mode are
  • F & R Cooling Ltd.
  • F & R Engineering Co. Ltd.
  • F & R Valvles Ltd.
  • Newman Electric Motors (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
  • Newman Electric Motors (Exports) Ltd.
  • South East Industrial Securities Investments Ltd.
  • South East Industrial Securities Ltd.
  • South east Industrial Securities (Singapore) Ltd.
• 2014-01-28 article in Gloucesterhsire Gazette. Newman Industries was first established in Yate in 1932 as an electric repair factory. Bombed during the Bristol Blitz, at which time they were making electric motors. By the 1960s they were at their peak with over 1500 employees. Left town in 1988.
• 7.5 HP 3 phase motor, "Manufactured in England by Newman Industries Ltd. for / Leland Electric Canada, Ltd., Toronto, Guelph, Montreal / LELAND-NEWMAN MOTOR".
• Undated advertisement for a new line of starters, showing a start/stop station. "A further success for Newman standardisation". Newman Industries Limited, Yate, Bristol. London office: 32 Victoria St., S.W.I.
• According to the companieslist.co.uk website, Newman Electric Motors (Exports) Ltd. was incorporated 1972-11-16, last filed accounts on 1999-03-31, and was dissolved 2001-05-29. It was based in Carlisle Place, London.