Behind sombre-looking factory walls deep in the heart of Denton’s industrial belt, one of Britain’s most forward-looking firms had its future all sewn up.
The Granby Shirt Company had outgrown its Wilton Street site and was looking to expand. Chairman and MD James Seddon revealed he had already bought a piece of land on nearby Palatine Street to build a bigger, brighter modern factory.
Although the company had other sites in Congleton, Denbigh (North Wales) and Bowness (Scotland), he confirmed that Denton would always be the headquarters.
“With Manchester Airport being so close, we can be at our factory just outside Edinburgh in the same time it takes to get to North Wales.”
The firm had an extensive range of the latest machines for stitching collars, cuffs and button holes. Its production techniques were regarded as first class.
Investing in the latest German-built rotary machines had speeded up production. They also ensured consistency of quality, with each shirt being checked several times at various stages of manufacture.
Mr Seddon claimed the finished product was better than hand-made, including shirts which were two or three times more expensive.
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