".originally called Herman Plastic Mouldings to make buttons - founded in early 1920's - commenced manufacturing switches in 1925 at 4 Hill St, Darlinghurst, NSW, an inner suburb of Sydney. Their head office and 8 factories are now in Alexandria / Waterloo area."
"HPM makes a vast range of excellent quality, well designed electrical accessories in many colors, including sadly now an increasing range in China. Whilst Clipsal products are also being used in China with the Australian pin configuration - upside down, ie earth pin on top! The online catalogue also shows UK sockets etc. and they are represented in other countries too. From memory their print catalogue showed US plugs and sockets. HPM was recently sold to a French company which is also sad."
"HPM Industries was a private company whose principal shareholder was Ruth Symons, daughter of the Hermans, her husband Peter (known to myself) being managing director until recently - I am pretty sure that HPM, like Clipsal also manufactured UK and US accessories and had representative offices / agents. A website mentions 6000 products. I think it was a case of the family aging and losing ability / interest to continue. HPM and Clipsal both have websites. Sold in 2007 to LeGrand."
"Both Companies were also agents for some imported products and the large product numbers probably reflects color and other variations."
