Goodmans (electronics company)
British audio brand known for loudspeakers and consumer electronics.
Goodmans is a British consumer electronics brand now owned by the B&M Group. It began as Goodmans Industries, founded in Wembley (Middlesex) sometime between 1923 and 1926, initially making loudspeakers for public address systems. The company later became based in Hampshire and was best known for its speakers. Over time, the Goodmans name has appeared on a broad range of products, originally centered on audio—stand-alone speakers and radios—but later expanding into other electronics.
Goodmans Industries was sold in 1959 to Joseph Robinson’s Relay Exchanges, which later became Rentaset. In 1964, Rentaset merged with Radio Rentals to form Radio Rentaset. In 1967, Goodmans was combined with the acoustic division of Plessey Components Group in Havant, Hampshire, becoming part of a new subsidiary, Goodmans Loudspeakers Ltd. The following year, Thorn Electrical Industries (later Thorn EMI) acquired the company through its merger with Radio Rentals. Goodmans moved to Downley Road, Havant in 1970.
A management buyout of Goodmans Loudspeakers took place in 1984, and within three years its turnover rose from £7 million to £20 million. In 1987, the company bought fellow speaker maker Mordaunt-Short, then announced a merger with Tannoy in September, creating the largest audio equipment company in Britain. Goodmans Loudspeakers became a subsidiary of the newly formed Tannoy Goodmans Industries (TGI), which also owned the Epos and Creek Audio brands. TGI later moved to Ridgeway in Havant and floated on the stock exchange, becoming the first company to do so after the Black Monday crash. Goodmans sponsored English football team Portsmouth F.C. from 1989 to 1995.
In 1991, Goodmans effectively split: the OEM loudspeaker builder Goodmans Loudspeakers Limited (GLL) was set up as a separate company. The part of Goodmans that marketed foreign-made products—like in-car entertainment and televisions—was bought by Alba in May 1994 for a maximum of £3.6 million, becoming Goodmans Industries Limited. Alba also owned and marketed Alba, Bush, and Hinari branded electronics. The Alba Group became Harvard International in 2008 after its Alba and Bush brands were sold to the Home Retail Group. In 2022, Harvard International sold the Goodmans brand to the B&M Group, which had long been a licensee selling Goodmans products in its stores.
Quick Facts
- Currentowner
- B&M Group
- Previousowners
- Alba / Harvard International (until 2022)
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Introduced
- c. 1925
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Goodmans Industries was founded in 1923, 1925, or 1926, in Wembley, Middlesex, starting as a manufacturer of loudspeakers for public address systems. Through the post-war period to the 1960s, it was based in Lancelot Road, Wembley, where production and engineering took place. The company was sold in 1959 to Joseph Robinson's Relay Exchanges, later known as Rentaset, which merged with Radio Rentals in 1964 to become Radio Rentaset. In 1967, Goodmans merged with the acoustic division of Plessey Components Group based in Havant, Hampshire, becoming a subsidiary of Goodmans Loudspeakers Ltd. The company moved to Downley Road, Havant in 1970.
In 1984 a management buyout occurred at Goodmans Loudspeakers, with turnover rising from £7 million to £20 million within three years. In 1987 the company purchased Mordaunt-Short and announced a merger with Tannoy, forming Tannoy Goodmans Industries (TGI), which also owned Epos and Creek Audio. TGI floated on the stock exchange, becoming the first company to do so following the Black Monday crash. Goodmans split in 1991, with OEM loudspeaker builder Goodmans Loudspeakers Limited set up separately. The part marketing foreign-made products was purchased by Alba in May 1994 for a maximum of £3.6 million, becoming Goodmans Industries Limited. The Alba Group became Harvard International in 2008, and the Goodmans brand was sold to the B&M Group in 2022.
Reader's Guide
Goodmans' significance lies in its long history as a British loudspeaker and audio manufacturer, evolving from a specialist speaker maker to a broad consumer electronics brand. The company produced notable loudspeakers such as the Axiette fullrange driver and the Audiom 60, and was a major supplier to the hi-fi market and motor car industry, including the first speakers for Ford Granada, Sierra and Fiesta models. In the 1960s it introduced the Maxamp30, the first British made solid state amplifier, and the unusually small Maxim loudspeaker. Goodmans launched its first DAB digital radio products in October 2002 and later shifted toward set-top boxes and HD-ready TVs. A return to audio roots began in 2013 with the Heritage radio and other products, followed by a rebrand with a squirrel logo in 2014. The brand's legacy includes its role in the formation of TGI, the largest audio equipment company in Britain at the time, and its continued presence as a budget electronics brand under B&M Group ownership.
Did You Know?
- Goodmans was the shirt sponsor of English football team Portsmouth F.C. from 1989 to 1995.
- Goodmans produced the first speakers supplied for the Ford Granada, Sierra and Fiesta car models.
- The Goodmans brand was sold to the B&M Group in 2022 after being a long-time licensee in B&M stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Goodmans (electronics company)?
Goodmans is a British consumer-electronics brand whose roots go back to Goodmans Industries, set up in Wembley, Middlesex in the mid-1920s as a loudspeaker maker for public-address systems. It grew into a household name for audio gear and later a broader range of electronics. The brand is now owned by the B&M Group.
What are Goodmans' most notable products?
Speakers such as the Axiette fullrange driver, the Audiom 60, and the Maxim loudspeaker are among their most recognised audio designs. On the radio side, models like the GPS280 DAB radio, the Heritage radio, and the Oxford digital radio carried the name into the digital era. Amplifiers such as the Maxamp30 also featured prominently in their catalogue.
How did Goodmans' ownership change over the decades?
After being sold to Joseph Robinson's Relay Exchanges in 1959, the company was absorbed by Thorn Electrical Industries in 1968 and later subject to a management buyout in 1984. It then passed to Tannoy Goodmans Industries in 1987, Alba in 1994, and ultimately the B&M Group in 2022.
Where was Goodmans originally founded and where did it operate?
Goodmans Industries was established on Lancelot Road in Wembley, Middlesex, at some point between 1923 and 1926. The company later moved its base to the Havant area of Hampshire, with production sites on Downley Road and Ridgeway.
Why is Goodmans important in British audio history?
As one of the earliest British firms to mass-produce loudspeakers for public-address use, Goodmans helped shape the UK's post-war listening culture. Its affordable speaker and radio lines put quality audio within reach of ordinary households for decades. Even through multiple ownership changes, the name stayed a familiar presence on British retail shelves well into the 2020s.
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