The company was founded in 1835 by William Horsfall (1807-1871). It was a card clothing manufacturer, which also began produced motor cars between 1902 and 1909. From 1910, the company gave up the automotive industry to concentrate on other areas of mechanical engineering.

It continued to manufacture card clothing until it acquired the assets of another subsidiary The English Card Clothing Company Limited on the 1st April 1984 on the same date the company transferred its existing trade and related assets to Carlco Securities Limited.