This approach included multiple hostile takeovers by BTR, though several such bids failed, for Pilkington, Norton Abrasives, and Hawker Siddeley.

[3] The company primarily focused on the manufacture of tyres for road vehicles, conveyor belts, and industrial hoses.

[4] During 1956, the company opted to cease production of tyres in favour of its other activities as this business unit was becoming increasingly unprofitable.

[3] During late 1966, BTR came under the control of a new central management team; the prevailing philosophy was stated to be "growth is the goal, profit is the measure, security is the result".

[6] By 1982, BTR had acquired a large number of companies in the United Kingdom, the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Germany.

[3] These ventures ranged into various fields of work, from extracting raw materials such as natural and synthetic rubbers, textiles and chemicals, to insurance, pensions, corporate planning, international taxation and legal matters.

[9] During late 1986, BTR launched a hostile takeover bid for Pilkington, a leading manufacturer of high quality glass with operations worldwide, which it valued at $1.64 billion.

[23] Nevertheless, this approach also was perhaps BTR's greatest weakness, which came ahead in the late 1990s following the retirement of both Green and Jackson, at which point debt had risen to high levels.

[24] During 1994, less than three years after arranging to acquire the company, BTR opted to spin off Hawker Siddeley Canada via a flotation on the Toronto Stock Exchange, swapping its 59 per cent holding for around £65 million.

[28][29] In November 1997, UniPoly S.A, bought 32 companies from BTR, including the Schlegel Sealing and Shielding Group, at a reported cost of roughly $867 million.

[30] The deal was a management buyout in which UniPoly Group was formed to take over most of the rubber products business of BTR plc.

[31] During these years, BTR was organised in the following businesses areas: Engineering, Packaging, Materials, Building products, Polymers.

[33][34] The merger has been viewed as a final admission that BTR's business model could no longer fulfil changes in customer expectations.