The origins of United Engineers Limited can be traced back "... to four British pioneers: Richard Riley and William Hargreaves who formed Riley Hargreaves & Co. in 1865, building bridges, steamers and the Fort Canning Lighthouse; and Samuel Erskine and J. Howarth who founded the engineering firm of Howarth Erskine & Co. in 1875, specialising in the design and construction of iron and steel structures and waterworks. These two companies came together in 1912 to form United Engineers Limited. [See here]

Civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, boilermakers, iron and brass-founders, bridge and ship builders and general contractors. [W05p644]

Richard Riley was in business in 1868 as a civil engineer, and along with William Hargreaves was a shipwright at Boat Quay. Eventually became United Engineers after merging with former partners Erskine and Howarth. Became a Company in 1900. Were the first ice-makers in Singapore. [Additional information from John Wilson 20 November 2006. [M04]]

Registered in 1899 as a Limited Company. [W05p644]

By 1908 there were 36 Europeans and 600 employees in the company.

They had branches in Ipoh, Penang, Perak and Bangkok and were represented throughout Malaya. [M04p215] [W05p644]

They were the original ice-makes in Singapore. [M04p215]

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• United Engineers Limited