Legrand & HPM History Breadcrumb Home Legrand & HPM History 1904 1919 1924 1933 1944 1948 1949 1950 1966 1976 1983 1988 1989 1996 1997 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2018 1904 1919 1924 1933 1944 1948 1949 1950 1966 1976 1983 1988 1989 1996 1997 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2018 1904 Frederic Legrand and Mr Betoule take over a porcelain factory in Limoges, a famous area for porcelain production in France. 1919 Legrand starts manufacturing switches in addition to tableware to maximise the use of porcelain ovens. 1924 The company is called Legrand. 1933 In Sydney, Australia, Herman Plastic Moulding was formed by Doris and Berthold Herrman. After founding a successful button moulding company in the 20s, the couple bought an old plastic moulding machine and achieved success making knobs for radio sets. 1944 Jean Vespieren and Edouard Decoster take over management of Legrand and 400 employees. 1948 HPM wins the Sunbeam contract to make plugs and inlets for the brand’s iconic Mixmaster. This was the first time HPM made electrical plugs. 1949 After a fire that completely destroyed the factory the decision was made to exclusively focus on the production of electrical installations. The company capitalises on the post-war building boom. 1950 HPM starts making plugs and sockets under the HPM brand for the first time. The very first trade price list contained 6 items – today this number is over 7,000. 1966 The first Legrand subsidiary is set-up outside of France in Belgium. 1976 Peter Simon became the Managing Director of HPM. 1983 HPM is sold to Legrand for the first time. The foreign minister at the time, Paul Keating , vetoes the sale, declaring it was in Australia’s best interests to keep HPM Australian. 1988 HPM releases its most successful range: Excel. The first range of switches and outlets with full coverplates. 1989 Legrand purchases BTicino – Italy’s number one manufacturer of electrical accessories. Growth by acquisition is one of Legrand’s key strategies. 1996 HPM purchases Nelson Industries, a lighting brand. 1997 Legrand purchases Australian emergency lighting manufacturer Minitronics. 2005 Legrand purchases Cablofil – one of the world’s best-known brands in cable management. 2006 Axiom, the first wireless emergency lighting system in Australia is released. 2007 HPM is officially acquired and joins the Legrand Group of Brands. Legrand Australia is born. 2008 The Legrand slide Connect G2 Exit Sign wins the Australian Design Award for Excellence in Sustainable Design. 2010 Arteor is launched: The single largest range of its kind in Australia & New Zealand. 2011 The next generation of iconic HPM range, Excel Life is launched under the Legrand brand. 2012 New HPM Legrand head office opens: Uniting R&D, Logistics, Manufacturing, Warehousing, Finance, Human Resources and Marketing under one custom-built roof in Prestons NSW. 2018 GALAXY - Connected Emergency Lighting System is launched. A wireless emergency lighting testing system that is smart building ready.
