He was born into a Blackburn family, which for generations had been involved in the textile industry and which owned and controlled companies engaged in spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing(1) and educated at the Queen Elizabeth"s Grammar School, Blackburn.
With his inspiration, leadership and drive, he founded Netlon Limited in 1959 to manufacture the products but most importantly to commercialise the concept. Throughout Brian Mercer’s career, he strongly believed in the importance of cooperative research and development through instigating discussion and debate through international commercial and technical conferences. He was elected a Fellow of the Textile Institute in 1973 and in 1988 it bestowed on him an Honorary Fellowship.
In 1981 he received the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and in 1984 was made a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He made a bequest to the Royal Society to establish the Brian Mercer Award for Feasibility, which is given to allow researchers to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of commercialising an aspect of their scientific research. Modern Tensar geogrids were invented by Doctor Mercer in the late 1970s and early 1980s for the construction industry to provide stabilisation and reinforcement with the underlying concept of simplicity, flexibility and strength.
They are now used throughout the world for soil reinforcement applications.
Royal Society.
