13 Facts About Joseph Lockwood

Sir Joseph Flawith Lockwood, was a British industrialist and businessman, whose initial reputation was as an executive of a flour milling company.

Joseph Lockwood was born in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, the second son of flour mill owner Joseph Agnew Lockwood and his wife, Mabel.

Joseph Lockwood worked at the family mill before travelling to Chile at the age of 19, and becoming manager of a flour mill in Santiago, later moving to Concepcion.

Joseph Lockwood returned to England in about 1928, and began working for Ernest Simon in his family firm of mill builders, Henry Simon.

Joseph Lockwood wrote the standard book on the subject of mill technology, Flour Milling, in 1945, and researched and wrote on the subject of pelletised animal feed and its manufacture.

Joseph Lockwood instigated a run-down of the gramophone and radio manufacturing side of the company, giving it a greater focus on industrial electronic equipment through a partnership with Thorn Electrical Industries.

Joseph Lockwood started to oversee substantial growth in EMI's involvement in the record industry, buying and developing the American Capitol company in the late 1950s, and appointing George Martin to take charge of the Parlophone label.

Joseph Lockwood was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1960 New Year Honours list.

Joseph Lockwood prioritised the production and sale of popular records, rather than classical records aimed at a prestige market.

Joseph Lockwood changed marketing and distribution arrangements; previously, only a small handful of record shops in Britain had been permitted to sell EMI records, and Lockwood pioneered new ways of ensuring the rapid distribution of hit records to shops.

Joseph Lockwood led the involvement of EMI in the British film industry.

Joseph Lockwood was regarded as close to the Beatles, who generated a large share of EMI's profits during the 1960s.

Joseph Lockwood died at his home in Buckinghamshire in 1991 at the age of 86.