June 2006
Lec domestic launches a 32 strong new product range, view the full range.
September 2005
Lec Commercial products continues to be managed from the site at Bognor Regis, and Lec Domestic is now managed from GDHA head office in Prescot, Merseyside.
March 2005
Lec is acquired by Glen Dimplex Home Appliances a major manufacturer with brands such as Stoves, Belling and New World. Chief Executive, Denver Hewlett said, “We are pleased to have acquired Lec and plan to continue with the management’s strategy, to accelerate its growth and regain its leading position in the UK refrigeration market. We have a strong track record in acquiring and rebuilding businesses in the domestic appliance industry.
April 2004
Lec move into new modern offices which sit next to the state of art factory.
December 2003
Lec officially close their old factory with a ceremony held for employees. Long service awards were given to those employees who had worked at the company for over 20 years.
2001
Lec launched ''Elan'' a range of CFC, HCFC and HFC free domestic refrigeration products.
1997
Lec expanded its Special product division and renamed it ''Technical products''. The company launched its new domestic range ''Era'', which was entirely designed and developed in Bognor.
1994
Sime Darby of Malaysia purchased Lec and invested £34 million into a new factory.
October 1991
At the age of 81 Charles Purley gave up the Chairmanship of the board, he became life president but died in the December.
1986
Charles Purley Founder and Chairman of the board of Directors was presented with an OBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
1981
The company's new 73,000 sq foot warehouse opens. In 1984 Lec undertook its first television advertisement which featured actress Barbara Kelly.
1973
Following Britain's entry in the common market a modern factory was acquired in Calais.
1964
Lec was floated on the stock market successfully. In the same year Lec expanded to Burnley, Oldham and Northern Ireland. This indicated that the biggest factory in Bognor Regis had arrived on both a national and international stage.
1956
The company's special product division is formed and starts to produce low temperature environment cabinets for hospitals, aircraft and atomic research.
Charles Purley said to keep a business successful you have to expand so in the 1960''s a new automatic spray paint plant, and a 3 floor building fronting Shripney Road were in construction.
1955
Lec establishes its showroom in Regent Street providing the opportunity to display its products, and a convenient venue to meet clients from abroad.
1954
The company was renamed Lec Refrigeration Ltd, thus linking itself more closely to the trade name of Lec by which its products had become known.
1947
The factory at Shripney Road was in full production and about 200 workers were employed. During the 1940''s Lec concentrated on their foreign export market, due to the fact that steel was in short supply, and available only for the overseas trade. As a result of this 90% of all fridges Britain exported to Canada in 1948 were made by Lec, and at times 80% of all Lec fridges were for export.
1946
The founders obtained some land from Farmer Munday at Shripney Road Bognor Regis for £125. This was the base from which the factory grew. In the same year their first prototype fridge was made, and the company acquired its first airplane an Ulster, which was used for urgent deliveries and repairs. The plane was also used for transporting executives on business trips in order to save time.
1942
Together with partner Leslie Jull they purchased a small engineering workshop in Longford Road Bognor Regis and Longford Engineering Company (L.e.c) was born. Through the war years the workshop produced munitions as well as developing a refrigeration system.
1940
Charles and Frank Purley owned a fresh fish shop, as obtaining ice was expensive; a cheap method of keeping the fish in good condition had to be found.