Established in 1878 and originally known as Davis & Booth the company grew and eventually established a main warehouse which was situated on Ellesmere Street, Hulme in Manchester. The company specialised in packaging various dried lines of goods, along with tinned foods under the Pivot and LI-Q brand names.

The first gas works was built in 1817 by the Manchester Police Commissioners and was situated on Water Street. The gas works was built to supply gas for street lamps and police offices. Official arrangements were created in 1824 with the introduction of the Manchester Gas Act, when Gas Directors were appointed to oversee the work. Other gas works were duly opened, and other privately owned undertakings were also purchased. On the 24th June 1843 the entire Manchester Gas Undertaking was transferred from the control of the Police Commissioners to Manchester Corporation. The Corporation continued to govern the gas undertaking until 1949 when it became part of North West Gas Board.

The University of Manchester Intitute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was established in 1966, but its origins date back to the Mechanics' Institution, formed by industrialists in 1824. The Mechanics' Institution was originally based near St Peter's Square, Manchester, and moved to Princess Street, Manchester, in 1853. The industrialist John Henry Reynolds responded to fears that Britain was losing its leading position as an industrial nation, by setting up a programme of classes, focusing on subjects that served the industrial needs of the Manchester region. The classes were a success and, in 1883, Reynolds converted the Mechanics' Institute into the Manchester Technical School. From 1892, the Technical School was funded by Manchester Corporation and became known as the Manchester Municipal Technical School. It was renamed the Manchester Municipal College of Technology after the First World War. In 1956 the College of Technology gained independent status as a university college. It was renamed the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1966, but remained largely independent of the Victoria University. It merged with Victoria University in 2004 to become the University of Manchester.