Wormald International

Valued at US$1 billion by 1990, it was acquired by American conglomerate Tyco International that year and became part of its fire protection business (today the world's largest).

Born in Edinburgh, Joseph arrived in Australia in 1889 when brother Sir John Wormald, of the Manchester-based engineering firm, Mather & Platt, sought to distribute the company's Grinnell-licensed sprinklers in that country.

As well as their core fire protection department, its other operating divisions included Metalbilt, manufacturing doors – including fire doors – and roller shutters; Steelbilt, manufacturers of storage equipment such as steel cabinets, shelving and cupboards and the license for the manufacture of products from the Kirsch Company – "the world's largest manufacturer of Drapery hardware and Venetian Blinds" A 1952 booklet titled "The Story of Wormald Brothers" listed 18 Wormald, Steelbilt or Kirsch factories in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Ballarat, Hobart, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – as well as 10 other locations in Australia and New Zealand with 'Resident Representatives' or 'Resident Engineers'.

In 1990, Wormald International, valued at US$1 billion, was itself purchased by Princeton, New Jersey–based Tyco International - becoming part of its Boca Raton, Florida–based fire protection division that included Grinnell Mechanical Products (the company whose fire sprinklers Mather & Platt had licensed to be distributed by Wormald in 1889).

The new owners have returned Wormald to local management, claiming that "the sale presents an exciting opportunity for the Wormald business to return to its roots and benefit from a more flexible, less centralised business structure...with a renewed focus on regional-based decision making to provide our customers with...trusted local service".