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Rodney Smith (businessman)

Rodney Annereau Ingman Smith, (26 August 1917 - 30 July 2013), was a co-founder of Lesney Products the company famous for manufacturing children’s toys, including the Matchbox car range.

Biography

Rodney ‘Ron’ Smith was born in East Molesey, Surrey and attended the George Spicer School, Enfield, Middlesex as a child. After completing an engineering apprenticeship, Smith enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1940, serving mostly on destroyers including the depot ship HMS Tyne as a Chief Petty Officer. He married Lily Louisa Mash in 1942, and after being demobbed from the navy in 1945 he joined a diecasting company in Palmers Green London. Sensing a business opportunity, he approached his boyhood pal, Leslie Smith about setting up a diecasting firm as equal partners. In 1947 the two friends formed Lesney Products, the famous company name a simple amalgam of their Christian names. Smith left Lesney in 1951, and briefly went into poultry farming before forming R. Smith (Diecastings) Ltd in 1954. This company became the associated manufacturing company for Morris and Stone (London) Ltd, responsible for making the ‘Budgie’ range of toys. Rodney Smith retired to the east coast of England in 1982, and lived in Deal, Kent where he died on 30 July 2013. He has one daughter, Brenda born 1945.


 * 1) Births 1917 http://www.ancestry.co.uk
 * 2) George Spicer School http://www.georgespicer.enfield.sch.uk/
 * 3) Matchbox Cars Matchbox_(brand)
 * 4) HMS Tyne http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/7287.html
 * 5) Leslie Smith http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/leslie-smith-6144646.html
 * 6) Lesney Products http://www.matchboxclub.com/acatalog/Historical_articles_on_Matchbox_and_their_famous_ranges.html
 * 7) Matchbox Club Annual 2011 http://www.matchboxclub.com