The company was established in 1852 under the name James Farmer and Sons as a manufacturer and erector of equipment for the textile industry. James Farmer was an engineer.

In 1895 the business became a limited company, adopting the name Sir James Farmer Norton & Co Ltd.

By 1961 the firm was described as manufacturing textile bleaching, dyeing and finishing machinery; bar and tube machinery; wire drawing machinery and rolling mills. It had 680 employees.

The company was bought out by Parex Engineering Ltd in 1997, and then by A.G. Shepherd (Machinery) Ltd in 2002.