ACME WHISTLES
Always original. From the first two products, both world firsts, that were so popular they became the generic name for a whole genre they spawned. Nobody bought a whistle; they bought a Metropolitan and a Thunderer.
These were pioneers that launched an enterprise that would create an innovative` first ‘in each of its 15 decades. Five generations have been at the helm; not one has let anything be lost. The social strands of the business, obvious from the beginning, building a working men’s club supporting an orphanage are still there in the work on regeneration and with local schools. The sense of place, Hockley, Birmingham the City of 1001 trades. The determination to play a part in the lives of those who work here and the wider people.
The products are the centre of it all. A solid and stable core around which waves of innovation, ingenuity and change constantly chipped away reshaping that core for every generation. A usefulness that saw Acme Whistles on duty in two world wars, that never stopped making strong blows for law and order, that conducted trams, saved lives and called in reluctant children from the playground.
A legacy, something that will survive beyond itself, continues to grow.
One vital factor, the bastion on which all stands, is the determination to be the acme. An ancient word with a timeless meaning; to be the best and most highly developed a thing can be.
