Founded in 1871 by John, Robert and Samuel Turner, the business began by weaving a type of lubricated cotton to create specialist packing rings in the corner of their father’s cotton mill in Rochdale.
In around 1879 Samuel Turner was approached by London businessman, John Bell. He had acquired a sample of chrysotile asbestos from Canada and asked Turner if he could supply Bell Company with a woven form of the material. The men shook hands, second-hand cotton textile machinery was purchased and adapted, and the mill commenced the revolutionary process of weaving this new material.
Whilst today the devastating health effects of asbestos exposure are widely understood, in 1879 it was considered to be a life saver, providing crucial protection from fire and heat. The Turner Brothers Asbestos Company (TBA) was one of the first businesses in the UK to weave asbestos using industrial methods. They were entrepreneurs, innovators and philanthropists, paying their workers the highest rate of pay for the Victorian era.
It is this ambitious spirit which ultimately drove the development of new and altogether better solutions. In 1995 TBA became the first company to bring a flexible fire barrier for compartmentation purposes to the market, with the FIREFLY® range.
Since then, TBA has continued to build upon its global reputation for technical excellence through our high quality of service, expanding product ranges and innovative research and development programmes.
In the UK, 2012 brought a full factory move to more modern premises in Rochdale.
In 2016, the company rebranded as TBA Protective Technologies, a name chosen to represent our numerous developments as a company and our tireless dedication to developing technically superior products to revolutionise the industry.
Acquired in 2017 by another stalwart of the specialist textile manufacturing industry, the Fothergill Group in 2017, TBA Protective Technologies is moving forward with continued growth in existing and new markets.
FIREFLY® in particular has benefited from major investment in manufacturing capabilities, fire testing and product development to continue to strengthen its place as a pioneer and leader in passive fire protection in the UK market and beyond.
