Catomance Processing Company Limited began 2 July 1936 aiming to develop a new chemical process for waterproofing textiles. Influenced by the provision of incentives attracting manufacturing businesses to WGC the company took a single-bay factory unit at 94 Bridge Road East. The name arose from a combination of two others: Blancato (inventor of the original waterproofing process) and Hermance, who became a company shareholder. The company objective was to commercially develop the chemical waterproofing process and process textiles. By 1938 it was decided to concentrate on manufacturing waterproofing chemicals and sell them to textile processing companies. It ceased processing textiles and, on 7th June 1938, changed its name to Catomance Limited. Catomance operated during WWII developing waterproofing products specifically for the requirements of Ministry of Aircraft production. One product waterproofed fabrics covering aircraft dispersed around the perimeters of airbases to evade enemy bombers. At this time Catomance’s products were sold under the brand name MYSTOLENE, which remains a Registered Trade Mark. In 1940 the company began developing a range of products to preserve textiles. Branded as MYSTOX they included products also meeting the wartime requirements of the Ministry of Defence. Mystox products were used by MoD’s textile suppliers to protect cotton mosquito nets from rotting in the tropics and stop hessian sandbags rotting when filled with wet sand. Catomance obtained a second factory unit at 92 Bridge Road East in 1945. 1947 saw attempts at direct exports to widen the company's sales base and compensate for lost war business. By 1952 more space was needed so a unit was acquired at 37 Broadwater Road. In 1954 factory units at 88 and 90 Bridge Road East became available when Murphy Radio relocated. These were acquired to further develop Mystox textile preservative products. In 1960 Catomance acquired 96 Bridge Road East to build new lab facilities - occupying 88-96 Bridge Road East. Its 25th anniversary in 1961 was celebrated with a staff lunch party, attended by 75 employees, at the newly developed premises. In 2010, Catomance Technologies Ltd was acquired by Murphy & Son Ltd, a long-established company based in Nottingham with interests in the supply of chemicals and other ancillary products to the brewing industry. Our thanks to John Hayes who kindly sent us a brief history of the company and a collection of images - thanks also to Alistair Ingleby for additional information.