PMP2000 > Places > Charnwood History

INDUSTRIES

ENGINEERING
BRUSH:
The founder of LOUGHBOROUGH's best known industry was CHARLES FRANCIS BRUSH, an American born in Ohio in 1849. Even while at school he designed and built his own electrical equipment, an interest he continued when employed by the Telegraph Company. His designs, which included dynamos and metal plating, were such a success that in 1870 he started his own firm to manufacture them on a commercial basis. Links with Britain were established very early on in his career and 1n1880 the ANGLO-AMERICAN BRUSH ELECTRIC LIGHT CORPORATION began in Lambeth, LONDON. Despite some setbacks due to restrictive Government legislation in the electricity supply industry, the firm was a success and very profitable. Soon BRUSH was looking to expand. However, this was difficult in the capital and in 1889, BRUSH began looking for a site near open land which would give plenty of room for growth. The site he found was the FALCON WORKS in LOUGHBOROUGH, near to the Midland Railway Station, named after the FALCON ENGINE AND CAR WORKS.

The FALCON WORKS had originally been sited on DERBY ROAD, LOUGHBOROUGH and was managed by a young engineer named HENRY HUGHES. As their work began to concentrate more on steam engines, the company moved to the more logical site next to the Railway station in 1863. The new site was about seven acres in size and by 1867 the move was complete. HUGHES began expanding into the manufacture of steam tramways and, in order to raise sufficient capital, HENRY HUGHES AND CO was sold to become HUGHES LOCOMOTIVE AND TRAMWAY ENGINE WORKS, with HUGHES himself staying on as works manager. By 1882, this had become HUGHES LOCOMOTIVE AND TRAMWAY ENGINE WORKS.

BRUSH and HUGHES were an ideal combination. Not only was BRUSH also keen to get into the tramcar end of the market but HUGHES' steam engines were perfect for driving BRUSH's electrical machines. BRUSH lost no time in putting up new buildings at the FALCON WORKS, especially for producing heavy machinery which had not been possible in the smaller LONDON establishment. Throughout the 1890s, BRUSH gradually transferred his business over to LOUGHBOROUGH, building not only engineering sheds but also offices, turning the area into an early industrial estate.

By 1905, BRUSH was one of the major tramcar producers in the country. However, foreign competition was severe in locomotive production and the firm diversified into railway carriages, motor cars, motor buses and other railway rolling stock. The electrical machinery side of the business continued to be as healthy as ever.

As everywhere, the First World War had a huge influence on BRUSH ENGINEERING. As well as the change in products to match the needs of war, many more women were being employed to replace the men in the forces. Aircraft production began as well as rolling stock for the special narrow gauge railways at the Front.

With the return of peace in 1919, the government contracts of the previous five years ceased and BRUSH went back to it's more usual production. Tramcar orders started to dry up in the 1920s but the turbine business was going so well that a new manufacturing shop was built in 1920-1. The recession of the 1930s meant that the firm had to dig deeply into it's financial reserves and in the latter part of the decade, the company was restructured and it's financing overhauled. Much of this change was overseen by ALAN GOOD who brought in a good deal of new work from other firms. One of the most important of these was the increase in Diesel engine production when PETTERS moved into LOUGHBOROUGH in 1939.

In 1939, BRUSH again shifted production to help the demands of a nation at war, prime amongst which was the construction and repair of aircraft. This period also saw the take-over of two more diesel engine manufacturers in Leeds and Stockport. The end of the war in 1945 saw yet more diversification in BRUSH's output and the 1950s was it's greatest period of expansion so far. Much of this was again supplying the needs of war - this time the Korean War. Other changes were the sale of the coach works business to Willowbrook and the development of an electrical switch gear division. Diesel locomotive production further developed with WG BAGNALL of Stafford, under the name BRUSH BAGNALL TRACTION. One result of this was the new BRUSH TYPE 2 LOCOMOTIVE but funding for this project was severely limited until 1957 when the BRUSH GROUP was taken over by the HAWKER SIDDELEY GROUP. From this point, BRUSH's fortunes increased steadily, despite the transfer of the turbine department away from LOUGHBOROUGH in 1959.

Locomotive production became more and more important during the 1960s, together with the manufacture of electrical equipment. Generators were still the one of the mainstays of the business and remained so until well into the 1970s. In 1971, the former ROTATING MACHINES DIVISION changed it's name to BEM LTD and the two other main sections were renamed BRUSH TRANSFORMERS LTD and BRUSH SWITCH GEAR LTD. BRUSH FUSE GEAR LTD followed in 1972 and was based in BURTON ON THE WOLDS. The 1970s saw a great expansion in BRUSH's locomotive manufacture with many orders coming from railways abroad. Two of these were the NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION and GHANA RAILWAYS.

Radical changes were to be implemented in the late 1980s by HAWKER SIDDELEY but their take-over by BTR plc in 1991 occurred before they could take place. The changes BTR brought in were very different but no less radical. BEM now became part of the BIR ELECTRIC POWER GROUP and "downsizing" led to job losses for many of the LOUGHBOROUGH workforce. The ELECTRIC POWER GROUP was itself sold to the Halifax based FKJ GROUP in 1996 and the BRUSH Companies yet again found themselves with new owners.

MORRIS'S:
This crane making company on NORTH ROAD LOUGHBOROUGH began life as HERBERT MORRIS AND BASTERT LTD, manufacturers of pulley blocks. Looking to expand, they first came to LOUGHBOROUGH in 1900, attracted by the town's excellent communications. Their first location was beside the canal on Moor Lane at the newly built EMPRESS WORKS (EAST WORKS) and by1903 they were exporting cranes which could lift up to fifty tons.

Some years later, BASTERT withdrew from the partnership and the firm was renamed HERBERT MORRIS LTD. They soon also expanded their products, manufacturing mobile cranes and elevators. This new look certainly paid off and within ten years of arriving in the town they had expanded along the canal to build the new WEST WORKS as well as their original EAST WORKS. During ther First World War, demand for their products was so great that a SOUTH WORKS was also built to increase production. Further expansion came in the 1920s with the building of the NORTH WORKS next to the Midland Railway. This specialised in travelling and dockside cranes.

HERBERT MORRIS continued to be one of the most important industrial forces in the area until 1984 when a decline in orders led to over half of the 650 workers to be put onto a four day week. A management buyout followed in 1992 and the firm's name was changed to MORRIS MECHANICAL HANDLING. Things looked even bleaker in 1992 when a fire devastated the North Street premises causing over £2 million worth of damage. But, undeterred, the firm clawed it's way back up to become one of the most successful crane companies in the country, exporting throughout the world.