Pluto Electronics. The History
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In the beginning, there was automated
kinetic light. The light came from a Rank Aldis Tutor projector,
modified by Jimmy Doodie’s company, Krishna Lights.
In the period prior to collapse, Krishna Lights moved from premises
in Googe Street London to Askew Road in Shepherds Bush. The management
team, at this time, left on mass, to set up there own company, Optikinetics,
It was into the void left by their departure that Richard Millington
was employed as General Manager and Rick Westlake as Production
Manager. Shortly afterwards Richard Millington employed Micky Thompson
as Photographic Darkroom Manager. At that time the kinetic cassettes
were produced by exposing photographic glass plate to create the
patterns, having them cut into the round and then hand painting
before bonding into the final assembly.
Despite the best efforts of the new team the company failed in
late summer of 1971.
Richard Millington and Rick Westlake then set about forming a fresh
company, that had its humble beginnings in a bedroom of a terraced
house belonging to Rick Westlake in Penge SE20. Micky Thompson also
came with them bringing both graphic art and photographic skills.
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The company name came about,
the three of them, discussing the problem over a pub lunch.
Name after name was rejected until one of them said, Oh! We
might just as well call it the Mickey Mouse Company, where
upon someone else answered, or Pluto. So the Disney dog became
the God of the Underworld became the new company name.
From initial capital of £800.00, fifty 100-watt tungsten
Czechoslovak projectors were purchased, converted to take
a six-inch oil wheel, which was purchased from Optikinetics,
and the lot sold to Proops Brothers in the Tottenham Court
Road. The money banked and more projectors bought.
That was 1972. Soon a vacant premises almost opposite Rick’s
house was rented. It consisted of three floors. Initially
only the first floor was used as a workshop and office. Micky
Thompson moved with his young family from Ladbroke Grove into
the top flat, and later a small metal working company was
moved into the ground floor fabricating the necessary piece
parts for the projectors.
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At this time Pluto was not a brand
name and manufactured projectors and accessories for others to market.
This strategy led to a very fruitful commercial relationship with
the Australian Photographic manufacturer Hanimex. This led eventually
to Pluto Electronics taking in batches of one hundred Hanimette
100s and also 1000s, converting them into kinetic projectors, re-labelling
them as the Hanimex Aquarius range and selling them back to Hanimex.
This process was repeated again and again. The Aquarius range was
then marketed through the Hanimex network.
The Hanimex catalogue included the Aquarius projectors as well
as a full range of accessories.
The company prospered until, in 1976, with no further expansion
possible in the current premises, and with an annexed property a
mile distant, and no suitable premises becoming available locally,
the decision was taken to relocate to Andover.
Andover was a London overspill new town. The Company was looking
for about 12,000 square feet but found 24,000 square feet for about
the same rent.
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This sounded very good at the
time but in retrospect had hidden dangers.
The three directors held job interviews at the local employment
exchange. By the end of the day the initial workforce had
been employed, since only one husband wife team had taken
up the offer to relocate from London.
Whereas Optikinetics predominantly targeted the professional
discotheque industry, the Pluto market share was targeted
at the general public who wanted a Saturday night party light
show and the mobile disk jockeys who also needed a mobile
light show.
Production started in the new premises in the late summer
of 1976. Over the next few years, a metal working department
was established, to fabricate the numerous piece parts required.
This was followed by a powder coating, painting facility.
When in peak production Pluto Electronics employed, counting
the office, assembly staff, metal working, painting, glass
cutting and silkscreen printing departments, about 100 people.
Lightomation, another kinetic projector and strobe light
company, also relocated from London, and by chance moved onto
Walworth Industrial Estate, in Andover, the same estate as
Pluto. When they experienced financial difficulties Pluto
bought the company, adding the Lito products to the range.
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Some time after the move to Andover, it was decided to market Pluto
as a brand name. Micky Thompson was tasked with launching the brand
in the last months of 1978. The film Superman was premiering in
London around the Christmas period. It was decided to create a super
hero, who also wore his underpants on the outside, and call him
Plutocrat, King if the Disco’s.
Twelve full-page advertisements were booked in Disco International,
the leading trade journal. Starting January 1979 a full-page strip
cartoon featuring Plutocrat, and a different Pluto product appeared
each month during the year. As a twist, for those familiar with
the disco industry at that time, was that other disco manufacturers
names were woven into the dialogue, in a humorous way. In a rather
dry product led publication many of the regular readership turned
first to the Pluto page for a smile.
So Pluto as a brand was launched. We received mail, requesting information
which started,
‘’ Dear Plutocrat’’
Only one Exhibition was attended each year, and Discotek ’79
saw a life size cut out of Plutocrat on the stand. People posed
with him to have their picture taken.
As mentioned earlier, Pluto targeted the general public and mobile
discos.
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I am not sure which of the mail
order catalogues were approached first. It could have been
Freemans. Whichever one it was, after the initial introduction
of a projector and six-inch wheel, in the next catalogue issue,
they wanted more and also other product.
Now, all the mail order catalogues monitor each other closely.
Once one catalogue has identified a successful line, they
all want to include the product in their catalogue. This was
terrific. All the mail order companies all calling and wanting
to place orders. Littlewoods wanted changes to the product,
which were made. Pluto was the only company, at the time,
to have a whole page of the catalogue, filled with different
disco lighting products.
Now, it is a well-known business fact that a company should
not do a disproportionate percentage of their business with
any one company. What was not realised was the shoaling effect
of the different mail order companies. So when the recession
of the early eighties hit, and on a tight budget, the last
thing people needed was a Saturday night party projector,
all the different mail order companies, acted as one, and
all either cancelled orders, or did not reorder.
This market sector was too large a percentage of turnover
and Pluto went into receivership. |
So
came to a close an era.
Richard Millington, after a short while, went on to form
a lighting company manufacturing lighting, which is still
trading today, for the illumination of retail chain stores.
Richard now lives in South West France. Micky Thompson joined
him for a twelve-year period, and is now a freelancer marketer.
John Straker, who joined as a director from Hanimex, also
lives in, but a different part of, South West France. The
memory lives on. |
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