The rise, fall and rise of a company

Those of us who are old enough to remember the heady days of wireless sets with valves that glowed in the dark, and had wooden cases with delicate fretwork panels in front of the fabric covering the loudspeaker, will surely recall the name of McMichael. In 1980, search as you will, you will not find a transistor set bearing the time‐honoured name. What, you may ask yourself, happened to McMichael? Bob Austin looks at how a company exploited the new technology to change its product line — and its profit margins.