Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company (an unincorporated firm or partnership) of Hubert Street, Leeds Road was active by 1895 manufacturing arc lamps and electrical instruments. By 1900 the company works were manufacturing small motors and dynamos for driving machinery and providing lighting specifically for the textile industry. Large motors, turbines, turbo-generators etc. were manufactured for orders from the Admiralty and War Office. In February 1903 Phoenix Dynamo purchased the whole of the works, business and patent rights of Bradford's Rosling & Fynn Limited (in liquidation) and announced that after some extensions to the buildings were complete those operations would be consolidated at Thornbury. In June 1903 it was announced that a limited liability company had been incorporated, Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company Limited, with a capital of £60,000 to acquire the business of electrical engineers and contractors carried on by the firm known as Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company at Thornbury Works Bradford.

During the First World War, Phoenix Dynamo contracted to the Admiralty to build Short seaplanes. The company produced millions of shells, a large quantity of machine tools, sea planes and flying boats. After the Armistice in November 1918 Phoenix Dynamo merged with four other businesses to form the English Electric Company and Phoenix Dynamo became English Electric's centre for small/ medium electric motor and generator design.