Associated Electrical Industries
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Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) was a British engineering company formed in 1959 by the merger of the British Thomson-Houston Company (BTH) and Metropolitan Vickers. AEI became GEC however in 1967.
The title however lives on in AEI (RUGBY) RFC which is a rugby club from Rugby, Warwickshire which retained the name after 1967.
The club was formed in 1917 as a works side for the engineering company BTH (British Thompson Houston) in Rugby. In 1959, BTH merged with Metropolitan Vickers to become AEI (Associated Electrical Industries) and although the AEI company was taken over by GEC in 1967, the club retained its name.
In 1989, GEC in Rugby split into GEC Alstom and Cegelec Projects, but in 1998 the two companies were reunited under the Alstom banner. Whatever the name, the club still draws many of its players from these companies.
After a brief and disastrous flirtation with league rugby in the early 80's, for many seasons AEI devoted themselves solely to 'friendly' matches. AEI did however spend two seasons (1999-2001) playing (and getting soundly beaten) in the Leicestershire Merit Table.
The website for the club is as follows: www.aeirfc.co.uk