Courtaulds - Production Sites

Production Sites

• Flintshire - A subsidiary of a German company, the British Glanzstoff Manufacturing Company started an artificial silk factory in Flint in 1907. During World War I the factory closed down but was taken over by Courtaulds in 1917. In 1913, the company had started making the synthetic fibre viscose rayon, made from cellulose derived from imported wood pulp or cotton waste. Courtaulds in September 1919 bought the old Muspratt Alkeli factory in Flint from United Alkali Co Ltd and called it Castle Works, where after conversion they started production in 1922 of manufactured viscose rayon yarn. Courtaulds also in December 1927 bought the Holywell Textile Mill in Flint which they called Deeside Mill and after reconstruction and alterations was used for yarn processing. At its height Courtaulds employed over 10,000 people at four sites. At Greenfield, Flintshire, some 5 miles (8.0 km) further down the Dee estuary, two additional large rayon production facilities existed from 1936 onwards, named Number 1 and Number 2. These mills employed over 3,000 people. Textile production declined from 1950, and Aber works shut initially in 1957, opened for rayon in 1966, and pulled down in 1984. Castle works closed in 1977 and Deeside Mill in 1989. The number 1 facility at Greenfield was mothballed in 1978, and the entire site was decommissioned in the mid 1980s.

• Preston - A large rayon production facility, called the Red Scar mill, existed in Preston. The main product was tyrecord. It employed around 4,000 people. It was decommissioned in 1980.

• Northern Ireland - A rayon facility existed in Carrickfergus, which was designed specifically to make a fibre suitable for the Irish linen industry. Many of the latterly held British-based jobs were based in the grant-aided infrastructure of Northern Ireland. Limavady employed 185 jobs, which were lost in May 2004.

• Wolverhampton - Dunstall Hall Works - Rayon facility.
• Coventry - Foleshill Road Works
  • Courtaulds Research - developed Courtelle, Vincel, Evlan, Viloft, Galaxy, Kesp, synthetic tobacco, Tencel, lyocell, Hydrocel, Alginate.
  • Courtaulds Grafil - Production of Carbon Fibre for use in sports, aerospace and automotive industries
  • National Plastics - Production of specialised plastic products including British military bulletproof helmets
  • Courtaulds Engineering - Design of plant, production of spinneretts.

• Derby - Spondon Works - Acetate fibre, water soluble polymers
• Grimsby - based on the Humber Bank this site produced Tencel fibre and rayon and acrylic fibre. Made acrylic dope for Grafil. Sold in 1999 to Accordis, it is now owned by the Lenzing Group.
• Trafford Park - Manufacture of Carbon Disulphide, base of Cowburn & Cowpar (chemical transport)
• Worksop - Formerly known as "Bairnswear" The 9-acre (36,000 m2) factory first opened its doors in 1953 as Bairnswear knitwear. The site was located on Raymoth Lane and it employed over 1000 employees (1950's-1970's). In the late 1960s it was rebranded as Courtaulds. In 1989 Princess Diana visited the site, at the same time as she visited to open the new Bassetlaw hospital. Rumours of the site's closure circulated in the 1990s and this happened in 2000. A small factory shop stayed open for another year selling all its goods off cheaply. The factory was still in good condition and a buyer was sought. The site deteriorated for three years; Westbury homes bought the site for residential redevelopment in 2003. In spite of local objections including the MP, John Mann,planning permission was granted, asbestos was stripped and the factory demolished in 2004, and the site has been redeveloped.
• Middlesbrough - started as factory then moved solely to warehousing and distribution closed July 2010