Henry Dübs
Henry Dübs (* 1816 in Guntersblum , Grand Duchy of Hesse ; † April 24, 1876 in Glasgow , United Kingdom ), born Heinrich Dübs, was a British businessman and engineer born in Germany . He was the founder of Dübs and Company , at the time the second largest locomotive manufacturer in Great Britain.
Life
Dübs completed an apprenticeship in a machine and tool shop. At the age of 21, after gaining further experience in Mainz and Aachen , he became sales manager of a machine shop. He then went to England and became operations manager at Vulcan Foundry , a locomotive manufacturer near Warrington , Lancashire . In 1842 he anglicized his name to Henry Dübs.
From 1842 to 1858 Dübs worked for the locomotive builder Beyer-Peacock in Manchester . He lost his position as operations manager in 1857 for reasons that lay more in his management style than in his technical ability.
In 1858 Dübs became operations manager and corporate partner of the Clydeside- based machine and locomotive builder Neilson and Company . He replaced operations manager James Reid because of his knowledge of locomotives. At that time, Neilson and Company was being transformed from a general engineering company into a locomotive company.
In 1863 Dübs ended his partnership with Neilson and Company and founded his own locomotive construction company. He and Walter Neilson agreed that this plant would be no closer than three miles to his new Hyde Park Works in Springburn , Glasgow. Dübs therefore chose the south side of Glasgow and began production in Queens Park in Polmadie in 1864 under the name Glasgow Locomotive Works .
Dübs new company, Dübs and Company , soon proved to be successful. Despite disagreements with Walter Neilson of Neilson and Company , Dübs managed to get a number of Neilson employees to work for him, including Neilson's chief draftsman. In addition, a number of Neilson's former customers ordered from Dübs.
The steam locomotive construction was the main business. Dubs & Co also manufactured tractors and steam cranes . It is also noteworthy that it was the first company to employ women in the drawing office from 1866 onwards.
Henry Dübs died of pancreatic cancer in 1876 at the age of 60. His headstone is on the Glasgow Necropolis .
Düb's successor as managing partner was William Lorimer, who joined the company in 1864. Lorimer held this position until 1903.
After Düb's death, the company increased its export business. In 1903 it merged with locomotive builders Sharp, Stewart and Company and Neilson, Reid and Company from Manchester. These formed the North British Locomotive Company (NBL).
Web links
- Henry Dubs. In: Grace's Guide. Retrieved March 11, 2014 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Tomb on the Glasgow Necropolis. Retrieved March 11, 2014 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dübs, Henry |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dübs, Heinrich (baptismal name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German-British industrialist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1816 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guntersblum , Grand Duchy of Hesse |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 24, 1876 |
| Place of death | Glasgow , UK |