In 1917 Dick, Kerr and Company acquired the Preston tram manufacturer, United Electric Car Company.
A year later, The English Electric Company was formed. In 1946, English Electric took over The Marconi Company. In 1960 it tried to take over another major electrical company, GEC, but its bid failed. In 1967 English Electric merged with Elliott Automation. In a reverse of the attempted take over of GEC in 1960, GEC acquired English Electric in 1968.
