Company History
The History of the Darcy Group
A UK leader and pioneer in environmental protection since 1935, Darcy Group is the UK’s leading provider of environmental pollution protection products and services.
The Group is made up of the following organisations:
- Darcy Spillcare – UK’s leading supplier of absorbents to spill responders
- Aquasentry – Europe’s largest manufacturer of separator pollution monitoring systems
- Ayles Fernie – World-leading marine and aerial oil dispersant spray system designers and manufacturers
- Trident Industrial Marine – Providing specialised oil pollution prevention, containment and recovery systems for spill response and industrial applications.
We manufacture, install and service a range of products designed to contain and control spills and other forms of pollution that put our customers at risk of significant fines, prosecution, and damage to their business reputation.
The company was founded in 1935 as Universal Emulsifiers Ltd, manufacturing a range of emulsifiers and wax emulsions.
Darcy Products incorporated. Product range includes degreasing agents and fuel additives in addition to emulsifiers. Manufacturing in old oast houses in East Malling, Kent.
The company became focused on spill control with the introduction of its Drizit range of oil absorbents, wood loose, cushions and booms.
Darcy started supplying polypropylene-based products, significantly increasing the range of products available.
Darcy was a founding member of BOSCA (British Oil Control Association), which later became known as UK Spill and then the UK and Ireland Spill Association.
50th anniversary of the company celebrated at the Houses of Parliament as guests of Rt. Hon. Lord Edward Shackleton, life peer and board member of Darcy Products.
Darcy achieved ISO 9001 accreditation.
Manufacture of weir skimmers begins.
Darcy becomes accredited to Achilles Link Up.
Began UK manufacture of containment booms, skimmers, liquid storage tanks and oil water separators with the acquisition of Trident Oleanic. Spill response training becomes accredited to the BSIF Quality Mark for Training.
To better represent the range of products and services offered, Darcy Products Limited rebrands as Darcy Spillcare Manufacture. This includes a new range of brochures and website. Darcy became not only the UK’s leading manufacturer of environmental products, but also a leading supplier of an ever developing range of contracting services. The initial services included remediation, bund relining, drainage surveys, tank installation/maintenance and refurbishment. In this year, Darcy also completes acquisition of Fields Environmental.
Accreditation to Approved Safe Contractor Scheme.
The acquisition of Pyramid Pollution Prevention (PPP) provided the facility and technical expertise to manufacture our own range of pollution detection and prevention systems. The new range of products were manufactured in the UK at our Technical Centre in Keighley, West Yorkshire. Darcy achieves accreditation to UVDB Verify.
Following on from the acquisition of PPP in 2009, Darcy invested further in product development to enhance the range of pollution detection systems. In 2010, Darcy branded this range of products under the Ecotector umbrella. The Tector range included Draintector, Oiltector, Bundtector, Silttector. Draintector is a multi-inflate reactive and preventive drain closure device can be activated manually and via a range of remote systems.
Owing to customer demand for a UK manufactured debris boom, Darcy commenced development and manufacture of its own range of debris booms from its Trident Plant in Birkenhead. On request of a valued customer the Trident Plant manufactured and installed their first Harbourguard boom. Due to expansion, Darcy relocated its manufacturing, warehousing and despatch to Birkenhead, Merseyside.
Acquisition of Ayles Fernie enabled the in-house manufacturing of marine and aerial oil dispersant spray systems.
Acquisition of Aquasentry Environmental Solutions saw an expanded range of monitoring and control systems.
Relocation of Head Office and Sales Office to Larkfield, Kent.
Development began of STRATUS helicopter underslung dispersant spray system which went on to win ‘Innovation of the Year’ at the 2023 UK and Ireland Spill Association awards.
PCB manufacture moved in-house to the Birkenhead factory.
Debuted the Responder line-up of spill response training courses in collaboration with Compass Environmental Consultancy.
Darcy becomes employee-owned, securing the future of the business with the employees at its heart.
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We have extensive experience helping businesses protect themselves and the environment from the financial, environmental and public relations damage of an accidental pollution event and every day spill control, containment and clean up keeping the workplace safe preventing slips, trips and falls.
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