History

From a family start-up in 1906, through two world wars and South Africa's first democratic elections, engineering supplies specialist, Incledon, proudly celebrates 100 years of existence. Early deliveries, made by bicycle through horse-drawn traffic on sweltering dusty roads in the bustling mining camp city of Johannesburg, bear testimony to the impressive level of personal service which has become the cornerstone of the company's success through the years.

Incledon's story begins in England in 1906 with Mr. Herbert Incledon who saw a potential market for the supply of pipes, fittings and valves to the growing mining industry of the Witwatersrand. After convincing his three older brothers to invest in his venture, Herbert bought as many consignments of pipe as he could afford, shipped them to Johannesburg and started trading as Incledon & Co.

By the end of the first year the fledgling company had shown a small profit and the mines soon began to depend on the quality of workmanship from Incledon. To meet the increased demand for steel pipe, the company acquired Lamberts of Walsall, UK, and soon began exporting steel pipes and fittings to South Africa. During the Great Depression years, Gerald Incledon, Herbert's son, took control of the newly established stock-point in Durban, and surrounding himself with a team of enthusiasts, soon began expanding the branch. This expansion fever reached the Johannesburg operation and was further fuelled by the news that Robert Blakeborough, the Yorkshire valve manufacturer,
had entrusted Incledon with sole agency for his products in South Africa.

World War ll put a five-year halt on Incledon's expansion drive with the majority of personnel joining up for active service,while the workshops and factories were converted for munitions manufacture and war supply. After the war ended, people went back to regular work and life slowly returned to normal. In 1947 a Blakeborough-Incledon plant was established to manufacture valves and Incledon & Lamberts was formed as a holding company.

In 1951 the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange. At the same time it was decided to put the company in the hands of a South African board of directors and a new company was formed - H Incledon & Co (South Africa). By the mid 50s the company had become well established as a supplier to the engineering and building industries as in addition to public authorities.

In 1970, the Stewarts & Lloyds Group of Companies, a South African manufacturer and trading business of Pipes, Fittings, Flanges, Pipe Couplings, Valves, Pumps, Irrigation Equipment and Diesel Engines acquired Incledon. Incledon at that time was represented in Johannesburg, Randburg, Klerksdorp, Welkom, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Elsies River and Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe)

In 1979, Boumat Limited, which was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, acquired the company shareholding and 1986 saw Engineering News recognise Incledon as �Company of the Year� on its 80th birthday. In 1999, management acquired the company from Boumat and re-entered the plumbing merchant and civil markets, while retaining the markets developed since inception.

A joint venture in February 2003 with DPI Plastics (Pty) Ltd effectively gave the newly formed Incledon-DPI (Pty) Ltd the status of the largest black empowered engineering merchant in the country at that time. In early 2006, exactly 100 years after its establishment - DAWN acquired 100% of Incledon's shareholding.
In 2007, Incledon acquired the assets of Waterlinx Pumps and Irrigation (formally the technical division of Stewarts & Lloyds Trading). Strategic products and knowledge were acquired to bolster the Incledon Engineering product and market platforms.
In 2010, Incledon acquired the business of VTR (Valve Technologies and Repairs) to primarily acquire product agencies and local skills in the area of control valves and valve actuation.

Incledon stocks over 14 000 preferred products and provides a wide range of approved and highly recognised brands of pipes, fittings, valves, flanges, pipe working tools & threading machines, HDPE, compression fittings, pumps, electro fusion fittings, windmills, sprinkler systems, water meters, residential, commercial & golf irrigation
systems, plumbing products and related products used in the engineering, mining, municipal, civil, plumbing merchant and irrigation markets.
Incledon supplies products utilised in the conveyance of water, gases and liquids. Incledon has the largest consolidated quality product offering in its industry and is well positioned to take advantage of the infrastructure spending programmes.

Today, Incledon has established branches in every major South African city, namely, Bloemfontein, Burgersfort, Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, Johannesburg, Kathu, Klerksdorp, Lephalale (Ellisras), Nelspruit (Mbombela), Northriding, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Secunda and Welkom