The company was established in 1926 on its current site by Mr. James M. Brown to manufacture zinc oxide. At that time the principal use of this material was in paints, rather than rubber as is the case today.During the 1930s various cadmium compounds were also produced and amongst these were cadmium pigments. The growth of the plastic industry led to greatly increased demand for these pigments, with their unique combination of bright colours, excellent heat resistance and complete compatibility. In 1945, James M. Brown sold half of his interest to the Tennant group of companies but he continued to run the company until he