Woods of Colchester was set up by Maurice Woods in 1909 to design and develop electrical machines. It expanded with the help of a loan from GEC in 1919. They maintained a close relationship and GEC took a controlling interest in 1945. In 1947 Woods designed a new range of axial flow fans whose success over centrifugal fans had a worldwide effect on fan manufacture, giving Woods a leading position. The company became a wholly owned subsidiary of GEC in 1964. Xpelair was a well-known Woods product, production of which was relocated to GEC's Witton works in 1967, eventually becoming a separate company within the General Domestic Appliances group (see below). Keith Blackman Fans was a separate company originally founded in 1823 and acquired by GEC in 1968, being absorbed into Woods in 1983. Woods of Colchester's name was changed to Woods Air Movement Ltd in 1998.