EDITOR ’ S CHOICE LATEST NEWS FROM EGS
WILLIAM WHITELEY & SONS
Investment gives one of Sheffield ’ s oldest manufacturers a new cutting-edge
A Sheffield-based scissor manufacturer who supplies Royalty , Formula 1 , golf greens and bulletproof jacket specialists has invested in three new machines to help it meet an unprecedented rise in retail sales .
William Whiteley & Sons , which has been trading for more than 260 years , has spent in excess of £ 80,000 in upgrading its production capability to include state-ofthe-art vibratory finishing technology .
Boosted by a capital grant from the Manufacturing Growth Programme ( MGP ), the latest addition brings automation to the company for the first time , helping it redeploy crucial labour to more value added work and providing a 30 % boost in capacity .
It comes at a perfect time for the 12th generation family-owned business , as it
The vibratory finishing machine gives us repeatable quality and the option to manufacture through the night .
looks to make the most of a five-fold boost in online sales , a welcome blessing with Covid-19 disrupting its industrial activity .
“ When it comes to producing scissors and shears , we have some of the best craftsmen and women in the world ,” explained Jeremy Ward , Director at William Whiteley & Sons .
“ What we needed to do was to protect those skills by investing in new technology that would automate a labour intensive , low skilled process and that ’ s why we pressed the button on the capital spend .”
He continued : “ The vibratory finishing machine gives us repeatable quality and the option to manufacture through the night . It also gives us the smoothest and aesthetically pleasing finish possible , which is what customers for our retail scissors and shears demand .
“ Sales in this arena now account for 30 % of our turnover and our beautifully crafted products are being used by tailors on Saville Row , by major fashion labels and by the army of people who are turning to crafts during Covid-19 .”
20 PECM Issue 48