Edward (Teddy) E. Rosen, born in 1898 was the son of Rachel and Samuel Rosen, Polish-Jewish immigrants to London's East End.  Samuel was a grocer by trade but also a lay-teacher.  A colleague in the Post Office Wireless Department got Edward a job in Marconi in 1911, at the age of 13.  During the first world war, Teddy worked at radio servicing in the Royal Flying Corps (after lying about his age).  A very well liked character in the radio business he created a company known for quality at a reasonable price but very rarely with any innovation.  Their best selling radio was the "Coronation Twin" portable.

 1920s: The Start

Set up Edward E. Rosen & Co. making wide frequency response headphones.

The success of the headphones meant a larger premises was needed.  Started to produce horn loudspeakers.  This was a good move as both shop-bought and home-built receivers needed horn loudspeakers to work, thereby capturing both markets.

Expanded again into new factory (6,500 sq. ft.) and employed 20 people initially.  Started to build the philosophy of in-house vertical integration by manufacturing components from raw materials.

 1930s: Rapid Growth and Word War II

Moved to Chalk Farm premises which housed 600 employees.  Vertical integration continued to the point where 95% of the components were made in-house. Issued exotic named radios called "Tiger", "Panther" and "Blue Fox".  A true Drawing Office was set up although cabinet design was outsourced.  Became known for their low cost base operation, sometimes not fully updating the radio range very year, but merely re-casing it.  They tended to issue a low price model every Spring to boost an otherwise slow time of year.  

Moved to bigger new premises in Western Avenue which was 150,000 sq. ft.  The factory had an output capacity of 1,000 sets per day with 1,500 employees.

 1940s: Back to Selling Radio

1947 Radiolympia brochure showing the Western Avenue factory.

 Early 1950s: Rapid Growth and TV

Financial News: Consolidated profit and loss account for year ending March 31 1950, shows a net trading profit of ?60,642 (loss of ?89,689).  Special losses, including closing of overseas branch, total ?148,587. Amount provided in previous years ?90,000.  Less: profit on realization of freehold premises and other fixed assets ?11,560; provisions for taxation and royalties no longer required ?4,479; leaves net credit for the year to profit and loss account, ?18,144.  Debit balance at March 31, 1949, ?166,436.  Net debit balance ?148,292.

Prices: November 1950; increased the price of the Leader radio receiver to ?21 including tax made necessary by the increase in raw materials.

 Late 1950s: Buying Pilot Radio 

New Scottish Depot & Service: 40 Wellington Street, Glasgow, C.2

The whole of the company's domestic receiver production will be centralized at Gosport, thus freeing the Ultra factory at Western Avenue for the production of special products.  About 100,000 sq. ft. of actual production space is available and, in addition, there are administration departments, canteen and other amenities.  For some time past Ultra have been training local labour to be ready for the opening of the factory which, when it is in full operation, will employ well over 1,000.

Ultra Purchase Pilot Radio Supplies and Service Continue - Separate Identity Preserved
The directors of Ultra Electric Ltd. announced on Monday that negotiations had been completed for the purchase for cash of Pilot Radio Ltd.  Ultra Electric will acquire on April 1, 1959, all the issued capital of Pilot Radio, which will then become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ultra Electric Ltd. On the same date Ultra will also acquire the Pilot trade marks in 17 European countries from the Pilot Radio Corporation of U.S.A.
The directors consider that the resources currently available to Ultra Electric will be sufficient to meet the payments in respect of these acquisitions and that no issue of shares will be required.
Pilot Radio Ltd. is a private company with works at Park Royal, Middlesex.  It was founded in 1935 and has association with the Pilot Radio Corporation of U.S.A., with whom it has maintained close ties.
Ultra Electric Ltd. is the operating wholly-owned subsidiary of Ultra Electric (Holdings) Ltd.  It was founded in the early twenties by Edward E. Rosen, its chairman, who is among the best-known pioneers of the radio industry.  Its works are situated in Gosport and Acton, and its laboratories are at Ruislip.  The Ultra Special Products Division has a world reputation for its receiver and location beacons, of which Sarah is best known.
Commenting on the purchase of Pilot Radio, T.C. Standeven, commercial manager of the Radio and Television Division of Ultra Electric said: "It is our intention to preserve the identity of Pilot as a separate unit within the Radio and Television Division and present supplies and services will continue."
He said that as far as possible the models in the two ranges would be different and distinctive and the aim would be to keep prices as low as possible to cater for an expanding market.
He explained that on April 1 the existing directors of Pilot will resign and the Ultra directors will be appointed to the Pilot board.

Address: Stonefield Way, South Ruislip, Middlesex

1960s: The Decline and Fall 

Splashing out with a front page advert on the Wireless and Electrical Trader edition of 26 Nov 1960.  Pushing the new Bermuda range heavily.

Good grief, Ultra suddenly decides to make fan-heaters!  I suspect that this was either a Thorn product looking for a new marketing badge, or the old laboratories of Ultra were put to work on something potentially more profitable.  This front page advert from the Wireless and Electrical Trader, 21 October 1961, was obviously their first push at this business.

Announcing the ?2.4M sale of Ultra radio and television interests, Edward E. Rosen, chairman of Ultra Electric (Holdings) Ltd., explained that in current conditions the size of an economic unit within this industry must be considerably larger than the company possessed.  After rejecting the idea of acquiring in this field, the board decided on the alternative course of adding its share of the market to another substantial unit in the industry.

"The monies being received from the sale," he said, "will be used to relieve pressure on liquid resources and will also be sufficient to meet the demands of expansion in the electronics field without raising additional capital."

Ultra Electric (Holdings) Ltd. recently announced an agreement between Ultra Electronics Ltd. and an American company, Electronics Investment Management Corporation, for the complete interchange of information on research, development, marketing and production of electronic equipment.  At the same time 40 per cent of Ultra Electronics Ltd. was sold to Electronics International Capital Ltd., the first International Capital Banking institution to concentrate its investments in electronic companies in the free world.  At that time the chairman forecast considerable expansion of Ultra Electronics Ltd. in all electronic fields. 

Ultra Electronics Ltd. announced this week [ 20 May 1960] that they have acquired Trix Electronics Ltd., a subsidiary of the Trix Electrical Co. Ltd. (The formation of Trix Electronics as a new company to acquire the Trix Electrical Co. Ltd. was reported in the Trader last week.)
Ultra Electronics Ltd. also state that Trix Electronics will continue to manufacture and install sound amplification equipment for PA and aircraft.

28 Jul 62: T. R. Stewart, Ultra representative for South West Scotland and Cumberland, can now be contacted at his new address - Merrylee 0346.

1970s: What Little Survives