1813 Club and Premier Members Oldest firm is newest member
A firm believed to be oldest manufacturing company in the UK has become the Chamber’s newest Premier member. The firm is Firmin & Sons, of New
Town Row, which makes uniforms and all the various accessories that go with them, such as the buttons and badges. Firmin, whose beginnings can be
traced back to 1655, equips the British military and those of 34 other countries for every aspect of their roles, from ceremonial and parade dress to combat gear.
‘One of the oldest registered companies in the UK which is still going strong today’
The company started life as a
button maker, and was first mentioned in the general accounts of the Girdlers Company, which made belts both for fine dress and for utility. Its founder was Thomas Firmin,
who was born in Ipswich in 1632 and was apprenticed to The Girdlers Company. He went on to be a prominent
citizen of London, and was known for his charitable works. He carried out his business in central London, and endured and survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. A piece of wooden equipment that survived the fire exists to this
Press here: the Chamber’s Carl Douglas uses a Victorian hand-press to make a button at Firmin’s New Town Row works
day at Firmin’s Birmingham headquarters. Firmin moved to Birmingham in
1882. The firm was originally based at 31-32 St Paul’s Square in the Jewellery Quarter, where it stayed until 1892. After, outgrowing those
premises, the firm moved to Villa Street in Aston. Firmin today is a designer and
supplier of every form of uniform, livery or badge, and the accessories and accoutrements to go with them. The business is one of the last
Adi secures major deal with Princes
Major construction and engineering firm Adi Group has secured a multi-million pound deal with international food and drink group Princes. Further details about the
agreement were revealed at a ground-breaking ceremony, attended by staff from both companies, including Adi chief executive Alan Lusty and Princes’ director Ruth Simpson. The project, which is set to run
until next spring, will see Adi help to redevelop and expand Princes’ Long Sutton site in Spalding, Lincolnshire, by nearly 200,000 sq ft, as well as creating new car parking there. The development, which is
already under way, is being undertaken by Adi’s construction business, Adi Building & Refurbishment. This will result in a new raw
material handling and kitchen facility at the site, which already
employs some 500 permanent staff. Adi Building and Refurbishment managing director David Beebee said: “The contract with Princes marks a significant milestone for us at Adi. “This is one of the best-known
food and drink brands in the UK and worldwide, so we’re really proud to be helping engineer further production capacity for the firm on British soil.” Princes’ Long Sutton site in Spalding is its largest food production site in the UK, producing a range of canned products including peas, pulses, beans, bean meals, fruits and ready meals.
Canned feat (from left): Alan Lusty, David Beebee, Ruth Simpson and Andrew Hargraves (Princes) at the ground breaking ceremony for the new raw material handling and kitchen facility
working armourers in the United Kingdom, making ceremonial armour and helmets for the likes of the Household Cavalry and the Honourable Artillery Company. Firmin & Sons has existed
through the reigns of 16 British monarchs and has been established longer than organisations such as the Hudson’s Bay Company (1670), Lloyds of London (1688) and the Bank of England (1694). The firm is undoubtedly one of
the most prestigious companies to become a Chamber member. Chamber international business
hub development director Mandy Haque said: “We are delighted to be working with Firmin because of its international connections and its particular focus on Commonwealth countries. “There is also the fact that it is
one of the oldest registered companies in the UK which is still going strong today.” A number of Chamber
employees took part in a fact- finding tour of Firmin’s factory in New Town Row, prior to the company joining as a member. The visitors were invited to try out some of the manufacturing processes at the factory, such as using hand-presses to make buttons
• Award-winning Chamber columnist Jon Griffin will be taking an in-depth look at Firmin and its long history in next month’s Chamberlink.
ICAEW role
for Johnathan Johnathan Dudley, Midlands and South West managing partner and head of manufacturing at tax and advisory firm Crowe, has been appointed chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) Manufacturing Community. The ICAEW Manufacturing
Community provides members with access to online knowledge resources including sector trends, research, news, standards and regulation. It also gives members
access to expert advice from its technical inquiry service, and to sector-specific events and webinars. The ICAEW has more than 150,000 members, both in professional practice and working in industry.
September 2019 CHAMBERLINK 39
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