Thread: Craven Brothers

Craven Brothers was formed in 1853,
at Dawson Croft Mill, Salford. Initially
the brothers made machine tools for
locomotive manufacturers, but they
later branched out into many other
types of machine tools, particularly for
armament manufacturers. Machine
tools make metal and wood parts for
other machines. They range in size
from hand-held devices to objects that weigh hundreds of tonnes. Craven Brothers
specialised in outsize and individually built machine tools, such as a 42-foot (13-metre)
Craven Vertical Boring and Turning Mill, weighing about 600 tonnes. The company built
up a huge export trade, with agents in India, Finland, Australia, Canada, South Africa,
Argentina and Brazil.
The company expanded so rapidly that it had to move several times. In 1863 it moved to
Osborne Street in north Manchester. Further growth prompted the construction of the
Vauxhall Works at Reddish, near Stockport, in 1900. The company kept the Osborne
Street works, with about 500 employees, open until 1920. In 1939 Craven Brothers
bought the Victoria Works at Denton from Knight & Hale. In 1956, during one of the
company’s best periods, 250 people worked at Denton.During both world wars Craven Brothers was under government control. The company
made machine tools and armaments, particularly explosive shell cases. It was very badly
affected by the economic depression after the First World War. Many companies were
forced to close but Craven's survived, partly because it managed to expand its export
trade into Russia – in fact during 1930 this accounted for 75% of its output. In 1928
Craven Brothers merged with Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co. Ltd (Machine Tools
Ltd), Joshua Buckton & Co. Ltd, based in Leeds, and Thomas Shanks & Co. Ltd, based in
Johnstone. The works of the other companies were shut down, and the works at Reddish
were extended accordingly. Late in 1933, Craven Brothers began to show signs of
recovery from the depression and orders began to increase.
Craven Brothers boomed under the leadership of Joseph Richard Greenwood, managing
director from 1929 until 1936 and chairman from 1936 until his death in 1959. After his
death the company’s fortunes changed greatly. Profits dropped and the company had
problems competing with firms in the rest of Europe. In 1961 the Denton branch works
were sold to J. Brockhouse and Co., of West Bromwich. By 1964, Craven Brothers was
losing money and there were many boardroom changes in the following three years.
Then in 1967 the company was bought by Staveley Industries Ltd., which had already
bought the well-known Manchester firm Kendall & Gent. The Reddish factory was closed in 1970.