Joseph Foster and Sons Ltd

Company established by Joseph Foster with premises at Bow Lane Ironworks and a little later at the Soho Foundry, Preston. His son's Francis and James joined the firm in 1882 and the company continued to prosper building Lancashire boilers and other steam equipment.

In 1928 it acquired Yates and Thom Ltd, Bolton and in doing so made them one of the largest companies in the country building and supplying boilers and other steam equipment.