Denford Machine Tools
of Brighouse
Denford Small Tools was founded in Brighouse by Horace Denford prior to World War Two. The company manufactured a range of engineering inspection and measuring equipment and tool holders.
Denford moved part of their manufacturing operation to Box Tree Mills in Wheatley, Halifax, in the closing years of the war (where a company Denfords Engineering Co operated). Having set up in the “Box Mill” plant, a new company named Denford Machine Tools was created, and manufacture started of two small precision bench lathes branded "Box-Ford".
1952 Denford moved their manufacturing operation to Birds Royd, Brighouse
By the end of the 1950s, they were manufacturing a variety of metal and wood turning lathes, tool sharpening equipment, grinders and polishers.
1976 Workforce = 130
1981 Introduced the Micromaster, a training machine for computer-controlled lathes[1]
1981 The workforce had been reduced to 65 because of the recession[2]
1984 Won the Lloyds Bowmaker Industry Achievement Award for the range of computerized mills and lathes for light production and technical training[3]
In December 2010 Denford Limited moved to a new purpose-designed 18,500 sq ft facility at Armytage Road, Brighouse. The new premises incorporate the company's manufacturing facilities, including 3,200 sq ft of office space, as well as a dedicated showroom, demonstration and training facility