ONE of the greatest business partnership's ever to have emerged out of Halton's industrial history has made it into the premier league of Merseyside's Hall of Fame.

The special alliance between chemist Ludwig Mond and financier John Brunner during the 19th and early 20th centuries, was hailed at the recent celebration of fame and fortune - Merseyside Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.

Their combined work not only led to the formation of chemicals giant ICI, but also influenced the whole of the British Chemical Industry and, indeed, the chemical industry worldwide.

They now officially top the bill for being among the most respected leading entrepreneurs in the region.

The £50,000 project was the first event of this kind to be held at the Maritime Museum at the Albert Dock, bringing 30 entrepreneurial giants into the Hall of Fame.

It was developed by Professor Tom Cannon, a business academic and champion of enterprise, and included the founder of building company Redrow and chairman of the Merseyside Television company Phil Redmond.

Ludwig, of Farnworth in Widnes, is now recognised as one of the greatest industrialists of all time.

During his lifetime, which spans the years between 1839 and 1909, Ludwig has been inspired by coming up with an accurate understanding of the physical and chemical conditions of his work that were later applied to ICI.

When he arrived in England in 1860 as the son of a Jewish cloth merchant in Cassel, Germany, he had carried out a brief spell in education at Heidelberg University before leaving to receive his degree.

He fled to England to escape the antisemitism in Germany and make a home in Widnes, where he was to meet John Brunner, the Everton born son of a Unitarian minister.

John was to provide the pair with the commercial and financial expertise.

In their first year they lost £4,300 but turned that into a profit of £2,045 the following year.

By their Silver Jubilee year they were raking in a fortune for that time and were making a staggering £300,000.

The two men were recognised at the event for sharing a passion for the welfare of their workers, by providing them with houses and schools, as well as a social club.

The pair are likely to be remembered for a long time to come.