EKCO
Eric Kirkham Cole started his first shop in 1920, he sold wireless batteries,,and recharged accumulator for wirelesses. One of his customers, William Verrells agreed to invest £50 in the business. They went into partnership, left the shop and set up a bigger premises over a shop in Westcliff. By 1930 Eric had bought a large piece of land in Prittlewell where he built a factory making wireless sets, first of sheet metal, or wood and later of Bakelite.
Domestic production stopped during the war, Ekco concentrated on wirelesses for the army, and radar equipment.
After the war he continued producing TV sets originally in black and white but later in colour. By 1957 over a million television sets had left the factory
Ekco soon became one of the largest employers in the area with over 2000 staff. He set up a factory in Rochford and also used part of the old Gliderdrome skating rink in Southend.
Ekco Plastics was formed in 1956 producing mains and portable radios, tape recorders, electric blankets, baby baths and various household utensils.
Ekco merged with Pye in 1960 by this time nearly 8000 staff were employed.
By 1966 the factories in Southend and Rochford were closed. Ecko ceased to exist.