The story behind friction welding machine manufacturer Thompson 

Thompson can trace its roots back to a family firm started in the Black Country in 1834, several decades before the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Former coal miner William Thompson began a small boiler making business in Bilston, which would later be transformed into a global business by his uncle John Thompson and his four sons.

In the early part of the 20th century, the company turned its attention to overseas markets and won orders for its boilers from as far afield as India, China and Japan. It also diversified into areas such as automotive components and metal window frames.