Whatman plc

Whatman part of GE Healthcare Life Sciences
Product Brand
Founded 1740 in Maidstone, Kent[1]
Founder James Whatman
Headquarters Little Chalfont
Key people
 Kieran Murphy, Chief Executive Officer and Executive GE Healthcare Life Sciences
Website http://www.gelifesciences.com/whatman

Whatman plc is a GE Healthcare Life Sciences brand specialising in laboratory filtration products and separation technologies.

Whatman products cover a range of laboratory applications that require filtration, sample collection (cards and kits), blotting, lateral flow components and flow-through assays and other general laboratory accessories.

Formerly Whatman plc, the company was acquired in 2008 by GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company.

History

Founders Innovation and Impact

Mr. Whatman's Turkey Paper Mills by Paul Sandby (1794)

Founded in 1740 in Maidstone, Kent, England, Whatman paper was created by papermaker James Whatman the Elder (1702–1759). He made revolutionary advances to the craft in England and is credited as the inventor of wove paper (or Vélin), an innovation used for high quality art and printing. The techniques continued to be developed by his son, James Whatman the Younger (1741–1798).[2] At a time when the craft was based in smaller paper mills, his innovations led to the large scale and widespread industrialisation of paper manufacturing.

Whatman had been approached by John Baskerville, who needed paper that would take a light impression of the printing plate; this was used for the edition of Virgil's poetry, embellished with Baskerville's typography and designs.[2] The earliest examples of wove paper, bearing his watermark, appeared after 1740.[3]

The business is credited with the invention of the wove wire mesh used to mould and align the pulp fibres. This is the principal method used in the mass production of most modern paper. The Whatmans held a part interest in the establishment at Turkey Mill, near Maidstone, after 1740;[1] this was acquired through the elder Whatman's marriage to Ann Harris.

The "handmade" paper bearing the Whatman's mark was still produced for special editions and art books[2] until 2002.[4]

Acquisition

Whatman plc was acquired on 4 February 2008 by GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, at 270p per share in cash for each Whatman share, valuing Whatman at approximately £363 million (approximately $713 million.) Last production at Maidstone (Springfield Mill) was on 17 June 2014.[4]

Key products and technologies

The Whatman product range covers

References

  1. 1 2 "The Early Years". Whatman.
  2. 1 2 3 Roberts, Matt T.; Etherington, Don (2011-11-19). "Whatman, James (1741–1798)". Bookbinding and the conservation of books: A dictionary of descriptive terminology. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-8444-0366-3. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
  3. ↑ "Watermark and countermark library". Conservation. National Gallery of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  4. 1 2 Chalmers, Mark (September 2016). "Whatman - Springfield Paper Mill, Maidstone". Archive. Witney: Lightmoor Press (91): 52–65.
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