Company History

Seven decades of DC engineering, from a steel fabricator in 1952 Oldham  to a global busbar and switchgear supplier today

G Corner’s history is a record of working with our customers through periods of significant change in their industrial processes, from the replacement of mercury-cell chlorine plants to the large scale adoption of the electrowinning process for copper refining, and to the newest green hydrogen electrolysers. Below is the full timeline, with the key moments that shaped our company.

73 +

Years in business

Since 1952

4 +

Core Industries Served

Chlorine · Base metals · Hydrogen · DC Power

6

Continent coverage

Europe · Asia · Africa · Americas · Oceania

230 +

kA peak DC rating

Current busbar capability

73 years, decade by decade

30 milestones

  1. Founding 1952 - 1979
  2. 1952

    Founding

    G Corner established in Oldham

    G Corner & Co Ltd is established in Oldham, UK. The company's main products are specialist steel fabrications for the chemical industry.

  3. Early Growth 1980 - 1989
  4. 1980

    Early Growth

    First DC busbar systems for chlorine production

    G Corner begins working with the UK's largest chemical company of the time, supplying DC busbar systems and components for the redevelopment of its main chlorine production plant as clean electrolyser technology starts to replace ageing mercury cell production.

    Mercury cell electrolysis had dominated chlorine production since the late nineteenth century, but by the early 1980’s the industry was beginning a long transition towards cleaner electrolyser technology, a shift that would ultimately see mercury cells phased out across Europe and eventually the rest of the world entirely. Supplying the DC busbar systems behind one of the UK's earliest major plant redevelopments placed G Corner at the start of that transition, and established the high current DC expertise that remains the foundation of the business today.

  5. 1981

    Early Growth

    Copper components for monopolar electrolysers

    G Corner works on the design and development of copper components for the new ranges of monopolar chlorine electrolysers.

  6. 1985

    Early Growth

    First international chlorine projects

    G Corner begins supplying DC busbar systems for chlorine plants outside the UK, with early international projects in Canada and Indonesia.

  7. Going Global 1992 - 2015
  8. 1992

    Going Global

    Acquired by the MSS Group

    G Corner is acquired by the MSS Group, a privately owned UK copper distribution and component manufacturing business, and relocates to a new site in Oldham, UK.

  9. 1995

    Going Global

    Full focus on DC busbar systems

    G Corner concentrates solely on DC busbar project work, moving away from peripheral business lines such as cable terminals and electric arc furnace cables.

  10. 1996

    Going Global

    Chlorine technology conversion projects

    G Corner delivers a series of chlorine technology conversion projects, supporting large production plants converting from mercury to electrolyser production technology.

  11. 1999

    Going Global

    Manufacturing moves to Nashik, India

    Following the successful opening of the MSS Group’s new factory in Nashik, India G Corner relocates its manufacturing operations from Oldham, UK to the new India facility.

  12. 2000

    Going Global

    Diversification into base metal refining

    G Corner begins to diversify beyond its chlorine business and into base metal refining.

  13. 2001

    Going Global

    Entering the copper electrowinning market

    Through the contacts of the MSS Group, G Corner begins developing DC busbar systems for the copper electrowinning industry as electrowinning production technology grows in popularity.

  14. 2003

    Going Global

    First major copper projects and a new office in Chile

    G Corner is awarded its first large scale copper refinery projects, in Zambia and Oman, and opens a new commercial and technical office in Santiago, Chile to focus on developments in the copper refining industry.

    The timing was significant. The leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning route had grown to account for around a fifth of world copper production, with significant new projects in Latin America, making Chile the natural centre of gravity for our technology development. Establishing a permanent commercial and technical presence in Santiago placed G Corner at the heart of the world's largest copper producing region, and gave the company the local relationships that would drive its growth over the following decade.

  15. 2006

    Going Global

    Copper overtakes chlorine as the core business

    New contracts are awarded in Chile, including the world's largest new copper electrowinning refinery at that time. Copper refinery projects overtake chlorine as G Corner's main business. Extended: Just six years after first diversifying into base metal refining, copper had become the centre of the business. The same year, G Corner began developing busbar system designs for cobalt, nickel and zinc refineries, broadening a copper capability into the multi-metal expertise that defines the company's base metal refining offer today.

  16. 2007

    Going Global

    New 50,000 sq ft manufacturing facility

    G Corner relocates its manufacturing operations to a new state of the art 50,000 sq ft facility in Nashik, India.

  17. 2009

    Going Global

    Record year for DC busbar projects

    G Corner supplies a record number of DC busbar projects around the world for base metal refineries, with new large scale projects in the DR Congo and South America. The same year, the company completes the delivery and installation supervision of one of Africa's largest copper electrowinning plants, in the DR Congo.

  18. 2010

    Going Global

    First copper foil project

    G Corner completes the delivery of DC busbar equipment for its first copper foil manufacturing plant, in Malaysia.

  19. 2010

    Going Global

    Major nickel refinery contract in North America

    G Corner is awarded a major project for cell top busbars and associated equipment at the largest nickel electrowinning refinery and base metal refinery in North America.

  20. 2011

    Going Global

    Investment in machined cell top busbar production

    G Corner makes a significant investment at its Nashik manufacturing site for the production of machined cell top busbars for base metal electrowinning refineries.

  21. 2011

    Going Global

    Zinc cell top busbars for Japan

    G Corner is awarded the supply contract for zinc refinery cell top busbars for new customers in Japan.

  22. 2015

    Going Global

    Nashik factory expansion completed

    G Corner completes a factory expansion in Nashik, part of a USD 5 million investment from its parent company.

  23. Modern Era 2016 - 2026
  24. 2016

    Modern Era

    Strengthening the zinc sector

    G Corner supplies a number of zinc projects, strengthening its reputation in the sector.

  25. 2016

    Modern Era

    New business development manager appointed

    A new business development manager joins the G Corner management team.

  26. 2019

    Modern Era

    Expanded presence in the Americas

    G Corner increases its presence in North and South America, with local representatives providing prompt support on existing and new projects.

  27. 2021

    Modern Era

    2,500 m² expansion of the India manufacturing site

    A large 2,500 m² expansion of the India manufacturing site increases capability and capacity for components, sub-assemblies and complete assemblies.

  28. 2023

    Modern Era

    MSS International acquisition opens the door to DC switchgear

    The MSS International group of companies acquires Elmecon, based in Nottingham UK, to add this into the existing G Corner business, enabling entry into the design and manufacture of high current DC switchgear.

    The acquisition reshaped what G Corner could offer its customers. With the support of Elmecon, the company can now deliver complete packaged systems: a comprehensive end-to-end solution spanning design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning, covering both DC busbars and DC switchgear. For the first time, customers can source the complete high current DC electrical system, including the switchgear, from a single, accountable partner.

  29. 2023

    Modern Era

    Investment in engineering capability

    G Corner invests significantly in its engineering department, increasing its design and project management capabilities.

  30. 2024

    Modern Era

    New DC busbar factory at B-69 Ambad

    The DC busbar systems business moves to a brand new state of the art factory at B-69 Ambad in Nashik, India. The previous B-14 unit is redeveloped into a dedicated DC switchgear manufacturing centre.

  31. 2024

    Modern Era

    First busbar systems for green hydrogen

    G Corner supplies its first range of busbar systems developed specifically for green hydrogen customers, designed for both PEM and AWE hydrogen electrolysers.

    Green hydrogen represents one of the fastest growing applications for high current DC systems. According to the International Energy Agency, global installed electrolyser capacity stood at 1.4 GW at the end of 2023 and was projected to reach around 5 GW by the end of 2024, with announced projects pointing towards roughly 520 GW by 2030. The electrolysers at the heart of this growth rely on exactly the kind of high current DC distribution that G Corner has engineered for chlorine and metal refining for over four decades, making the move into hydrogen a natural extension of the company's core expertise.

  32. 2024

    Modern Era

    Strengthening the spares and repairs offer

    G Corner welcomes a new spares and repairs sales manager, strengthening its customer service capability around the world.

  33. 2025

    Modern Era

    Dedicated site services department established

    G Corner sets up a dedicated site services department to work with customers on their refinery sites. The team assesses the operational efficiency of the plant's DC electrical systems, identifying issues or risks with the DC busbar system and proposing recommendations for improvement.

  34. 2025

    Modern Era

    DC switchgear testing laboratory completed

    Under the direction of Elmecon, G Corner completes the setup of its DC switchgear testing laboratory in Nashik, supporting the DC switchgear manufacturing operations. The facility includes a new temperature rise testing capability.

Next Chapter

The next decade is already being engineered…  Green hydrogen, site services, and DC switchgear are defining where we go next.

Talk to the team about the project you’re shaping, whether it’s a Greenfield refinery, an electrolyser line, or a retrofit of something built thirty years ago.

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