Page 22 - History-of-flooringLR

The

Protimeter

Story

1952
Gerald Gobert founded the Gallwey Chemical Co Ltd in
Deptford, South London. Gallwey bought bulk chemicals,
mainly lighter fuel, for repackaging into smaller containers for
resale. One of the war-surplus chemicals bought by Gallwey was
naphthalene, which was stockpiled during World War II as an
antidote to mustard gas. Gerald Gobert discovered that it was
also an effective fungicide widely used in Continental Europe in
wood preservatives.

1954
Protim Services Ltd was formed to undertake remedial work in
buildings, such as wood treatment. At this time, Ernest Gobert,
brother of Gerald, joined Gallway after several years working for
a timber merchant. Ernest Gobert became an important part of
Protimeter’s history as Ernest would become the driving force
behind the Protimeter brand and its success.

1955
Protim Ltd was formed by Gallwey to produce and sell only
timber preservative chemical solutions. By this time, it was
understood that the moisture content of timber prior to
treatment was critical to the performance of the preservation
process. Gerald Gobert built the first moisture meter to assess
the moisture level of timber. He called this instrument

Protimeter. Initially, Protim built a few meters for use in their
own work. But, as others learned of the technology, primarily
building owners, they thought it would be a useful tool for
resolving dampness-related disputes with tenants. With that, the
market for building inspection moisture meters was created,
and Protimeter Ltd was incorporated to make and sell moisture
meters.

The name Protimeter is a portmanteau of PROtect TIMber and
mETER and was chosen to reflect their intended use.

1967
Gallwey floated on the London Stock Exchange as Protim &
Gallwey Ltd.

22 The History of Flooring