G. D. Peters & Co., Limited was founded and registered at Cheapside London in 1869 by Gordon Donaldson Peters (1837-1899) who invented amongst other things the bed spring used inside railway seating. The company became a partnership with his son, Sir Lindsley Byron Peters KBE (1867 - 1939) (who apprenticed at the firm in engineering) and William McLaren at the Moorgate Works.

The company manufactured rolling stock supplies, such as railway brakes, locomotive super-heaters, steam-heating equipment, carriage, locomotive and wagon fittings and furnishing for government and railway contractors. The company’s Windsor works was located in Slough, Buckinghamshire. In 1909 G. D. Peters & Co., became a private company and on 1st October 1917 G. D. Peters & Co., Limited became a public company. G. D. Peters supplied stock to India, South Africa and Argentina.

During the First World War, the company placed their works at the disposal of the government and were employed in the manufacture of munitions. The company had to acquire additional land on which to erect new buildings and to increase their plant in order to meet the requirements of the Government. During the Second World War the company manufactured parts for the De Havilland Mosquito. In 1961 the company manufactured transport seating and blinds, automatic couplers, castings and suppliers of hardboard and pagwood and were agents and distributors for "Permadeck" flooring for use on rail transport vehicles.