Craven Brothers:1935 Review
Note: This is a sub-section of Craven Brothers
Visit of the Iron and Steel Institute to the Iron, Steel and Engineering Industries of Manchester and District
Craven Brothers (Manchester) Limited, Vauxhall Works, Reddish, Stockport.
Established in 1853 by two Manchester engineers the brothers Greenwood and William Craven — for the purpose of designing and manufacturing machine tools, the business of this Company has since shown progressive and continuous advancement.
In 1885 the partnership was made into a limited company and in 'goo it was decided to make plans to transfer the business to Reddish, where 25 acres of land were purchased, which site is now occupied by the present works.
In 1928, the Company was re-constituted by merging their interest with that of the machine tool department of Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co. Ltd., and also Joshua Buckton & Co. Ltd., Leeds, and Thomas Shanks & Co. Ltd., Johnstone, whose works were closed down, their manufactures being concentrated with those of Craven Bros. at Reddish, with the result that the works had to be considerably extended.
In 1931, the Company was re-constructed and a considerable sum has since been spent in new plant and equipment, so that the works now compares favourably with that of any machine tool manufacturer in this country, on the Continent, or in America.
The world slump which took place after the Great War probably affected the heavy engineering trade more than any other, and Craven Brothers, whose principal clients had been the armament manufacturers, shipbuilders and marine engineers, and the railways (the Company having on several occasions undertaken the entire construction of railway works with their complete equipment of machine tools, lifting machinery, structural work and other necessary plant), felt the slump very badly.
Consequently, during the past four years new lines of manufacture were developed, principally consisting of roll grinding machines for the paper and tinplate trades roll turning lathes; square ingot turning lathes; and machinery for dealing with automobile crankshafts, diesel engine cylinder blocks, etc.
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