Contactum

Founded in 1936, Contactum is an independent British manufacturer of Electrical accessories, Circuit protection and Control equipment. Contactum's products range includes wiring accessories such as switches, sockets and dimmers to circuit protection equipment including consumer units and distribution boards. With an in house approved testing laboratory Contactum strive to set the standard in quality and reliability with all their products.

Contactum's Relationship with Gil-lec

Gil-lec and Contactum have been doing business together since 1995. As family owned companies Contactum and Gil-lec share many values, all of which may be summarized by the promise: ‘We are dedicated to the customer'. Highly supportive in all our customer initiatives Contactum are regularly involved in our corporate events, trade days, factory visits and many other industry events, forging an excellent relationship, not only with us, but our customers also. We are proud to call Contactum one of most important business partners.

The History of Contactum

Established in 1936, by Mssrs Bollinghaus, Piepenstock and Cunningham, Contactum's beginning, using one second hand moulding machine, was a modest one, producing plug tops and a range of switches and sockets. In 1940 Contactum turned its focus to the war effort and manufactured heating elements for surveillance cameras and push buttons for bomb release mechanisms.
After the war and the government's edict on copper saving, Contactum embraced the ring main system, with a range of suitable wiring accessories, and in 1957, launched their first twin socket.
In the same year the company began a program of vertical integration, with the purchase of a turned parts company, tool making company, special purpose machine engineering company and a thermoplastic moulding company.

In 1964, Mr. Brian Piepenstock and Mr. Paul Bollinghaus, sons of two of the co-founders, joined Contactum, becoming joint Chairmen of the Contactum group in April 2002.
In November 2003, after almost forty years working for Contactum, Paul Bollinghaus decided that it was time to retire. Paul's excellent work, the technical advancement he has brought to the business and the long term product development programme that he has run over the years has enabled the company to offer value for money British made products of the highest quality and reliability.