YOU ARE HERE :
- Overview
Thomas Swan
Established in 1926 and based in Consett, Thomas Swan is one of the UK’s leading independent manufacturers of performance and speciality chemicals for a range of different industries.
In addition to the Consett site, the company has offices in both the USA and China, which aid the international distribution of Thomas Swan’s products.
The company is dedicated to the development of new, innovative products and technologies. This dedication was demonstrated by the launch of its nanomaterials business in 2004, which included the first “commercial-scale carbon nanotube plant” to be located in the UK.
Thomas Swan’s nanomaterials business was launched following a five year collaboration period with the University of Cambridge, which aided the company in developing a commercial production technique for single and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, which are an advanced form of carbon. In 2005, Thomas Swan achieved recognition as an approved commercial supplier of carbon nanotubes.
Carbon nanotubes manufactured by Thomas Swan are currently being sold predominantly for research purposes, in both industry and academia. Thomas Swan hopes to increase its production of nanomaterials in the coming years and it is anticipated that demand for such products could be particularly significant within areas such as advanced electronics, energy storage and conductive inks.
Activities in the region
The company’s Consett site employs approximately 120 individuals. A total of four employees work in Thomas Swan’s nanomaterials division, which reflects the developmental stage of this part of the company.
Thomas Swan achieves an annual turnover of £18 million. While turnover from the nanomaterials division is increasing annually, the company expects a significant increase in nanotube sales as it moves towards full scale commercial production.
Future development
Thomas Swan is proud of its North East origins and wants to continue the success of the family business, remaining in the region for future generations. To maintain its position in what is a competitive market, Thomas Swan is seeking to develop the Advanced Materials division of the company. This would include further development of its nanomaterials product range, which has already demonstrated significant potential over the past few years.
Contact
Harry Swan – Managing Director
Tel: (01207) 505 131
hswan@thomas-swan.co.uk
-
About North East England
-
Support for Investors
- Advice on availability & costs of premises
- Assistance with grant applications
- Identification of R&D in your sector
- Property Solutions
- Market Validation
-
Industry Support and Infrastructure
- Centres of Excellance & Clusters
- Universities
- Innovation Connectors
- R&D Facilities
-
Skills and Expertise
- Overview of Skills and Experience
- Innovation Highlights
- Introduction to Our Key Sectors
-
Financial Support
- Key Funding Channels
- Selective Finance for Investment
- Grants and Funding
-
Premises and Locations
- Property Solutions
- Strategic Development Sites
- Managed Workspaces
- Incubators
-
Transport Infrastructure
- By Air
- By Sea
- By Rail
- By Road
-
Doing Business in the UK
- Understanding Tax
- Visas and Immigration
How Can We Help?
This website is your guide to doing business in North East England and the range of inward investment support services from One North East.
Discover why North East England should be your UK platform for global growth with a free consultation from our inward investment team.
Nissan is building a £200 million European battery plant in Sunderland. The North East will have the UK’s first comprehensive infrastructure of electric vehicle... 
Advanced technologies in wind and solar power generation have been created. Biofuels and biomass are rapidly expanding, and innovations in fuel cells... 
Huge offshore wind farms planned for the North Sea have placed North East England in an ideal position to manufacture large numbers of turbines for these farms. 
Driving this sector are pharmaceuticals, world beating stem cells and genetic research, drug discovery and protein diagnostic techniques... 
The digital games industry, with Digital City as a focus, is a driving force in the creative field, while Sage has a commanding position in software development. 
The North East has major base chemicals & petrochemical complexes, alongside fine & speciality chemicals & pharmaceuticals. Biotechnology... 
Automotive manufacturing dominates this sector – Nissan in cars, and Komatsu and Caterpillar in heavy earth-moving vehicles. Defence, aerospace and marine... 
World leading subsea technologies have been developed to extract deeper oil and gas reserves, the North East has major pipeline terminals, processing... 
North East England is leading the way with a technology that allows electronic circuits to be made using specially developed semi-conductive materials. 
Exciting developments are taking place in printed electronics, with PETEC, the national centre for this future industry, located in the North East. Nanotechnology... 
Knowledge intensive business services in areas such as finance, legal services, human resources, management consultancy and marketing are expanding... 