BICC Ltd was a cable manufacturing company, the result of the reconfiguration of British Insulated Callenders Cables Limited (BICC) in 1975, at which point BICC became BICC Ltd. BICC Ltd comprised of four operating divisions: BICC Cables Ltd, BICC Industrial Products Ltd, BICC International Ltd, and Balfour Beatty Ltd. BICC had a world presence which was initially in the Commonwealth but in the 1980s and 1990s extended into mainland Europe and beyond. Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese companies gave entry in turn to South America and other parts of Africa. Disastrous investments in former East Germany and Russia helped bring the business to its knees at the same time as margins in every other part of the cable-making businesses came under attack. In 1999, BICC Ltd sold its power cable making business to General Cable Corporation and its optical cable business to Corning. BICC Ltd renamed itself Balfour Beaty in 2000.

Walter T Glover established his wire manufacturing company in 1868, occupying premises at the Bridgewater Street Iron Works in Salford. W T Glover & Co, known as Glover’s, originally made cotton-covered and braided, insulated copper wires for use on bell, signalling and telephone circuits. As trade developed, the company moved to the Springfield Lane Cable Works in 1880. At this time, factories and larger private homes were beginning to install electric lighting, which required better insulated cable. Glover's started to manufacture cables covered with between one and three layers of rubber strip, waterproof tape and compounded cotton braid. In the late 1880s, Glover's began to make lead-sheathed cables for underground use. The company became a limited company and moved to Trafford Park in 1898, securing the exclusive rights for the supply of electricity to all the roads, streets and premises of Trafford Park. In June 1919, Vickers Ltd took over Glover's. Although Vickers held most of the shares, Glover's kept its name and management. In 1929 the Vickers group reorganised and sold its shares in Glover's to Sir Tom Callendar of Callendar Cable and Construction Co. Some shares later went to W. T. Henley's Telegraph Works Ltd. and British Insulated Cables. In 1945, Glover’s became part of British Insulated Callenders Cables Limited, following the merger of Callenders Cable and Construction Co and British Insulated Cables. During the 1950s, Glover’s developed high voltage submarine power cables, used to link centres of population with sources of generation. The parent company formed a subsidiary, BIC (Submarine) Cables Ltd, to manufacture and install the Glover’s cables. Glover's submarine cables linked England and France, and the north and south islands of New Zealand. Increasing competition from other cable manufacturing companies resulted in the south side of Glover’s Trafford Parks works integrating with the newly formed Wiring and General Cables Division of the British Insulated Cables Company (BICC). The Trafford Park factory closed in 1970, but the Glover’s brand continued as part of BICC.

Founded in 1793 by Thomas Bolton along with his sons in Birmingham. The company prosprered and acquired other foundries and rolling mills. In 1894 the company acquired the St Helens works of Newton Keates at Sutton which traded under the name of Newton Keates and Bolton until 1899, when the title was altered to Thomas Bolton & Sons.