- Armitage Shanks
Armitage Shanks is a British manufacturer of
bathroom fixtures andplumbing supplies.In 2004 Armitage Shanks had eight factories in the UK, the largest in Armitage,
Staffordshire . Armitage Shanks is one of the sponsors of theLoo of the Year Award s.The company that became Armitage Shanks was founded in 1817 by Thomas Bond in
Armitage ,Staffordshire . The Armitage "sanitary pottery manufacture" became a successful UKtoilet manucturer. In 1907 Armitage Ware Limited was incorporated. In 1969 Armitage merged with Shanks Holdings Limited, a competing "sanitary engineering company" established atBarrhead nearGlasgow ,Scotland in 1878, producing the famousbrand name Armitage Shanks. In 1980 Armitage Shanks was purchased byBlue Circle Industries , and in February 1999 Blue Circle sold its bathroom division (consisting of Armitage Shanks and the ItalianCeramica Dolomite ) to U.S. basedAmerican Standard Companies for US$430 million. Following this purchase, the Armitage Shanks brand disappeared outside the UK, as their former export markets, such as those in east Asia, moved over to the American Standard brand.Other uses of the name
The company has inspired other people and groups to use the name, sometimes as an example of
toilet humour .*
Armitage Shanks (band) , a UK rock band
* Armitage Shanks is thepseudonym of the ringmaster of theSeattle, Washington basedCircus Contraption
* "Armatage Shanks (song) " ["sic"] is the first song onGreen Day 's 1995album , "Insomniac", which came about after the band had been to England and noticed the brand name on the urinals there.
* "Armitage Shanks" is the 24th song onFuture Clouds and Radar 's self-titled 2007album .
* "Armitage Shanks" is a b-side on the 1993 single "U Talk 2 Much" byCork City band TheSultans of Ping FC. Lyrics include: 'No one says Merry Christmas to those masters of industry, Armitage Shanks' and 'Often people use you, never even flush you'.
* "Armitage Shanks" is a fictional character in the Focus on the Family radio drama, "Adventures in Odyssey".
* "Armitage Shanks" is a fictional character in the novel Taz by Dawood Ali McCallum.External links
* [http://www.armitage-shanks.co.uk/ Armitage Shanks corporate site]
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