- Chad Valley
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- For the area in Birmingham, England see Chad Valley, Birmingham
Chad Valley is a long-established brand of toys in the United Kingdom owned by Home Retail Group. The company has its roots in a printing business established by Anthony Bunn Johnson in Birmingham in the early 19th century. Under the management of his son Joseph and grandson Alfred the company moved to the suburb of Harborne, in the valley of a stream called the Chad, from which the name comes. The company was one of the UK's leading toymakers for most of the 20th century, but in the 1970s it closed several factories and was taken over by Palitoy in 1978. The radio broadcaster Kenneth Horne was Chairman and Managing Director of the company from 1956 to 1958.[1]
The brand name was bought by Woolworths in 1988 and remained in use until that company's closure due to insolvency. Home Retail Group, the parent company of retailers Homebase and Argos, purchased the brand for £5 million on 20 January 2009.[2][dead link] The Chad Valley brand is now available exclusively in the new Argos catalogue.
See also
References
- ^ Johnston, Barry (2006). Round Mr Horne: The Life of Kenneth Horne. Aurum Press. p. 180. ISBN 1-84513-123-1
- ^ "Home Retail Signs Deal To Buys Chad Valley Toy Brand For GBP5M". Wall Street Journal. 2009-01-20. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090120-709556.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20.[dead link]
External links
- A Chad Valley Affiliate site - Chad Valley
- Chad Valley business site (takes you to the Home Retail Groups Website)
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