The Company was established in 1832 by Thomas Richardson as a marine engineering concern based in Hartlepool under the name of T Richardson & Sons. In 1900 it merged with Sir C. Furness Westgarth and Company of Middlesbrough and W. Allen and Company of Sunderland to form Richardsons Westgarth. As part of the merger Furness Withy, a shipping business, took a controlling interest in the Company. The Company then diversified into steel processing and was acquired by Klöckner, one of the world's largest steel stockholders, in 2000.