Fulton Company - About Us
1964
Major redesign of the traditional telescopic umbrella, the Easy Rider
1975
Improvements in telescopic shaft production
1981
Creation of wind resistant rib design
1984
Creation of safety mechanism for automatic umbrellas
1998
Creation of safety runner operation system
1999
Creation of the first ultra-compact lightweight flat umbrella, the Microlite
2000
Development of extended easyglide opening system, as used on the birdcage
2009
Patented wind resistant golf umbrella, tested in winds up to 78mph, The Titan
2012
New development in anti-UV sun protection umbrellas, the Parasoleil
Choose Fulton Umbrellas to Brighten Up Your Day
Fulton Umbrellas is proud to be both the United Kingdom’s and Canada’s largest supplier of quality umbrellas and rainwear.
We are the real specialists when it comes to umbrellas and we passionately strive to push the boundaries of development in dealing with the inclement British weather.
Quality is the cornerstone of our success and we use only the highest specification materials and exacting engineering standards before beautifully hand finishing every Fulton umbrella and rainwear product.
Our aim is to “brighten up your day” offering you a wide range of rain protection products to suit your specific requirements. From birdcage umbrellas to golf umbrellas and much more, we strive to blend fun and fashionable designs with quality materials and workmanship, so you can enjoy your Fulton umbrella or rainwear product time after time, confident in the knowledge that it has been designed to last.
A British Beginning
In 1956, in a small factory in Whitechapel in the East End of London, Arnold Fulton, inventor and Mechanical Engineer, began designing and producing umbrellas, and Fulton Umbrellas was born.
Arnold’s dedication to reliability and efficiency, and his fascination with improving umbrella frame design, led to him pioneering specialist machinery and manufacturing processes to enhance quality and streamline umbrella production, in a way that the umbrella industry had never seen before.
Based on the same core principles of excellence and innovation today, headed up by Arnold’s son Nigel, the Fulton Umbrella Company is now a global rainwear brand, protecting millions of people every year from the rain throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Russia, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
A Royal Warrant Passed From One Generation to Another
Our long-standing British heritage, quality and fashion design have been recognised across the world. The Fulton Umbrella Company takes great pride in holding a Royal Warrant to Her Majesty The Queen, and previously Her Majesty The Queen Mother. In addition to this, our umbrellas are regularly used by other members of the Royal Family, including TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.
It all began when The Queen Mother saw our clear-domed birdcage umbrella and thought its unique domed PVC cover would offer better protection, and clear umbrellas would allow her to remain as visible as possible in even the wettest conditions. The Fulton birdcage umbrella soon became her regular umbrella of choice, and this tradition has been passed down to HM The Queen. The Fulton Birdcage is HM Queen Elizabeth’s preferred choice both at home and abroad. We provide the Royal Family with a wide range of Fulton birdcage umbrellas, in an assortment of beautiful, bright colours to coordinate with the outfits and accessories the Queen wears.
On 25th March 2009, Fulton was honoured to welcome our most famous customer, HM Queen Elizabeth, and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, to its premises in East London during an official State visit, where we demonstrated some of our fashion design, manufacturing processes and the latest technical developments.
Revolutionising Umbrellas
At Fulton, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of development and creativity, merging technology with everyday usability. Our passion for innovation has resulted in some revolutionary developments in umbrella design, enhancing both performance and safety, and Fulton retains numerous patents and registered designs.
During the design and development phase of new umbrella frames, technical research is undertaken by a team of Mechanical Engineers and designers who design every component of each Fulton umbrella, from the metal-tipped leather ferrule to the canopy and leather handle, to maximise overall performance.
Whether you choose the clear umbrellas favoured by HM The Queen or our virtually windproof umbrellas for golf, all Fulton umbrellas undergo rigorous testing for lightweight strength, safety and durability. We also employ extreme stress tests inside a wind tunnel at Imperial College in London, which have helped develop a unique range of quality control procedures to ensure that all Fulton umbrellas meet the highest performance standards.
Fashion Inspiration
Inspired by catwalks in New York, Milan, Paris and London, Fulton’s experienced in-house designers expertly translate cutting edge fashion trends to umbrellas and rainwear.
As seen in our Legacy Collection, our eye-catching seasonal ranges encapsulate the latest designer influences, whilst maintaining a sophisticated and balanced offering to ensure that we have something for everyone.
Combining the aesthetic design of our products, from the fashion prints to handle and case designs, together with the technical performance criteria which underlie every umbrella, we ensure that Fulton’s products are unique from a functional as well as visual perspective.
Our Bespoke Offer
Fulton works with many of the biggest names on the high street and although you won’t see the Fulton name on the products, our standards of excellence are still very much in evidence.
No two customers have the same requirements and we create umbrella ranges to every budget and specification whilst still retaining the Fulton levels of quality and excellence.
We can develop unique and exciting designs in-house for you using our experienced in-house design team or we can also work with your designs and apply our expertise in adapting them to umbrellas.
We also have an extremely large stock holding capability in our Fulton warehouse which is invaluable in assisting our retail customers with their own stock planning. With the unpredictability of the English weather, because the stock is held on site, we can offer fast and accurate deliveries, ensuring that you need never be out of stock.