Helix (stationery company)

Helix (also known as Helix Oxford or Maped Helix) is a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of stationery. It exports to over 65 countries, with offices in Chicago and Hong Kong and has its UK headquarters in Kingswinford in the West Midlands.

For other uses, see Helix (disambiguation).
Helix
Private
IndustryStationery
Founded1887
HeadquartersKingswinford,
West Midlands
,
United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsOxford
ParentMaped
WebsiteHelix

History

Establishment

Helix was established in 1887 under the name 'The Universal Woodworking Company Ltd.; it manufactured wooden rulers and metal laboratory apparatus. In 1894, it patented the drawing compass and, with it, launched the Helix brand, following on from the initial success of the compass and rule. In 1912, the company's first mathematical set was created; and, in 1935, the brand "Helix Oxford" was launched. 1955 saw the company become known as the Helix Universal Company, and moved its headquarters to Lye, West Midlands. In the 1960s, the name again changed to Helix International Ltd.

Administration

In 2004, the company's factory in Lye ceased production.[1] In January 2012, the company entered administration. On 8 February 2012 the company stated, "The joint administrators from Grant Thornton UK LLP are currently speaking to a number of interested parties and have received offers for the sale of the business as a going concern."[2] One week later, the company was bought by the French Maped group.[3]

Maped Helix

When Helix joined the Maped Helix Group the company changed its name to Helix Trading Ltd and moved its UK headquarters from Lye, West Midlands to nearby Kingswinford, where it has its showroom. In 2014 it reported sales of £8.5 million.[4][5]

Brands
Oxford Set of Mathematical Instruments in 2011
  • Helix
  • Helix Oxford
  • Helix Fashion
  • Helix Technical
  • Jelly Belly Stationary
  • Pringles Stationary
  • Pepsi Stationary[6]
gollark: PotatOS is good, as documented.
gollark: That's just, like, your opinion, man.
gollark: Potato operating system.
gollark: We have a lot in stock and I am not using them.
gollark: Would you like 22 free potatOS computers (ComputerCraft)?

References
  1. Dayna Farrington, Former Helix factory site earmarked in plans for new waste depot from Express and Star, 4 May 2018, retrieved 15 November 2018
  2. Historic Lye firm goes into administration from Stourbridge News, 8 February 2012, retrieved 15 November 2018
  3. Stationery manufacturer Helix sold to French giant Maped from Birmingham Post, 15 February 2012, retrieved 15 November 2018
  4. Helix moves its Black Country HQ from Insider Media, October 2012, retrieved 15 November 2018
  5. Campbell, Scott (31 August 2014). "How Helix Oxford recovered its compass". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  6. MapedHelix.co.uk retrieved 15 November 2018
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