After the EKCO merger in 1960, Pye employment numbers reached their highest point
Over 30,000 worldwide
Over 25,000 in the UK
Around 8,000 working within a 20 mile radius of Cambridge
By far the biggest private employer in the Cambridge area
16,000 employed throughout East Anglia
The Pye company's product range had developed by both organic and acquisitive growth.
In order to create this organic growth it employed engineers and marketeers eminent in their various fields. To capitalise on this creative work, manufacturing facilities second to none were opened throughout the world.
A very early example of original thinking in this respect was the opening of Coronet Industries Ltd in Hong Kong during 1948. This provided low cost manufacture for Pye's export markets.
Factories were opened throughout the UK and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
Pye in New Zealand
Growth by acquisition was also central to the company strategy. Two of the most significant were those with LG Hawkins in 1939 and the EKCO company of Southend on Sea in 1960.
The former provided Pye with an established and wide product catalogue of domestic appliances.
EKCO were in many respects an almost mirror image of the Pye activity and therefore provided increased market reach, product catalogue and market share.