Mid 1970's Since the mid 1970's we have concentrated on our steel stockholding business. 1981 At the start of the 1980's we extended the services we provide by incorporating profile cutting. 1983 We open our Stoke-on-Trent office. 1990 Our steel stockholding division was consolidated into a separate subsidiary - Brown McFarlane Ltd. 1997 The group purchased a majority shareholding in Swallow Metals & Components Ltd, a Reading based company engaged in the stocking and distribution of non - ferrous metals. 2001 The group opens a dedicated export department based in Sutton Coldfield to service its growing worldwide business. Click here for further information. 2002 BMcF set up a joint venture to hold stocks of boiler and pressure vessel plate to sevice the rapidly expanding South African Process market place. 2003 The group opens an office in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai. Headed by Sriram who has had many years experience in the international steel trade. 2003 Selling over 50,000 tonnes of plate, the group is now one of Europe’s major processor and stockholder of steel plate 2004 The group purchases Cole Tubes, based in Wokingham, one of the oldest established manufacturers of specialist alloy tubes for the heat exchange market. 2005 The group purchases a 40% share in a South African company that processes special steels for the defence and process industries.   Brown McFarlane was founded in 1889 by Captain A R Brown, a former P & O Chief Officer. Captain Brown had worked in the Far East since 1868, charting and surveying the coastline of Japan. At the turn of the century Captain Brown joined forces with a naval architect, George McFarlane to establish A R Brown McFarlane & Co Ltd. The company was involved in the building of ships for Japan and export of machinery, electrical and other equipment, evolving into a steel stockholder and trader to a wider market. A London office opened in 1915, to be followed by Antwerp, New York and Tokyo, supported by a worldwide agent network.