William Warne & Co

The india rubber manufacturing company William Warne & Co was established in Tottenham in 1837 as a private manufacturer of india rubber products. Its registered office was in Gresham Street, London. The company name was variously styled as W Warne & Co and Wm Warne & Co. By 1870, the company was also engaged in the manufacture of india rubber and, in 1885, received a gold medal for invention in relation to india rubber manufacture. Consolidation of the india rubber products business with the india rubber manufacturing business in 1895 led to the company being registered on the stock exchange as a joint stock company.

The company opened its India Rubber Mills factory in Barking in 1907, moving its headquarters there.

Although Barking suffered from enemy bombing during the Second World War, India Rubber Mills escaped serious damage. During the war, despite military orders for rubber, trading conditions were difficult because of a shortage of raw material. In 1945, William Warne & Co merged with the St Alban's Rubber Co Ltd and set up The London and Provincal Rubber Co Ltd as a holding company. The broad range of products was mainly aimed at the defence, pharmaceutical and postal markets, and included precision seals for pharmaceutical inhalers, refuelling hoses for military aircraft and rubber bands for the Post Office.

William Warne & Co became part of the Rubber Division of Lindustries in 1968. In 2000, the company was purchased by Icon Material Technolgies (Holdings) Ltd, changing its name to Icon Warne.