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England before they were manufactured in Brentford.
The company was founded by a Corsican chemist, Francois Spoturno,
in 1904. He Subsequently changed his name to Coty. By the end of
the First World war his business dealings made him a millionaire
propietor of the famous Figaro newspaper, although his
fortunes had declined considerably by the time of his death in 1934
Coty(England)Ltd, originally imported the French made scents and
soaps through their aristocratic London Offices in Stratford Place,
off Oxford Street, inan eighteenth century house by Adam for the
Earl of Mayo
However, in August 1932 the compnay started manufacturing in a new,
purpose built factory on the Great West Road. By the Mid 1950's Coty
employed over 400 local people in the production of soaps, lipsticks,
scents and creams
Mr Woolmer, who worked for Coty's for 44 years as a joiner and
assisted in the company's move to Brentford in 1932, remebers
Queen Mary visiting the factory. He also recalls the great secrecy
which shrouded the regular visits to the works by the senior chemists
and parfumeurs of the French parent company. His colleague, a joiner
who also acted as a chauffeur, would meet them at the railway station
in London and bring them to Brentford Here they took over the company's
laboratories to make up perfume essences from secret recipes. Even
Brentford's senior chemist remained on the outside of the Laboratory door.
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