The British L.M. Ericsson Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
5 Chancery Lane, London WC2 (1919)
60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2 (1921)
67-73 Kingsway, London WC2 (1923)

Ericsson Telephones Ltd.
22 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2 (1937)

Ericsson Telephones Ltd.  / Etelco Ltd. (ETL)
22 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2

Factory: Beeston, Nottinghamshire

In 1898 the L.M. Ericsson of Stockholm established an office in London.

The British L.M. Ericsson Manufacturing Co. Ltd. was formed in 1903 as a public company. In 1926 the name was changed to Ericsson Telephones Ltd. (ETL).

From the mid-1930s onwards, the British plant made a higher turnover and profit than the Swedish parent, resulting in some friction and tendencies to operate independently. The relation was further complicated by WW2 where the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1939 threatened to have an impact on ownership and dividends paid.

In 1948, L.M. Ericsson withdrew from the UK, signing an agreement with ETL not to manufacture or compete in the UK telephone market for 20 years. All shares in ETL were sold to a British finance consortium, and it became an independent UK company.

Ca. 1948 a new valve design laboratory in Beeston was opened, later becoming the Tube Division of ETL. In the 1950s cold cathode valves and Dekatrons (then a trademark of ETL) were produced.

The names Etelco Ltd. and Ericsson Telephone Ltd. were used concurrently on publications until 1961.

The company merged with Plessey and Automatic Telephone and Electric Co. in 1961 to form Plessey Telecommunications.

It's currently unknown how long the brand and/or company was still active as a separete entity after 1961.