[4] One of his sons, Brian Noble Reavell, was also a chemical engineer, and took over as chairman when he retired from his business in 1960.
[5] He wanted to be a chemist, but instead served an apprenticeship in electrical engineering,[6] and had several positions, rising to be manager for the European operations of an American chemical engineering company Worthington Pumps then manager of Manlove, Alliott & Co. Ltd.,[7] dealing with sugar refining, of which a particular aspect is evaporation.
[2] In 1907 he set up his own company Kestner Evaporator and Engineering Co., to deal with the British and Empire market of an improved design of evaporator patented by his friend, French inventor Paul Kestner.
[8][9] During the First World War his engineering expertise was applied to solving the shortage of explosives in a team headed by Lord Moulton.
[2] The company made a variety of chemical plants with subsidiaries in Australia and South Africa.