Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Factory won’t be forgotten
A commemorative stone celebrating the six- decade history of a major Airdrie factory has been unveiled at the housing development which now stands on its site.
The Boots factory at Motherwell Street, which closed in 2005, employed 1000 people and manufactured around 100 million products per year for the high street store, including its branded cosmetics and sun creams.
Former worker Jim Gilchrist, who runs a Facebook page celebrating the plant’s people and past, wrote to suggest that there should be a plaque erected at the site; and his idea was taken up by housebuilders Bellway and Taylor Wimpey, who have since developed more than 400 homes on the land.
Jim, who worked at the Boots factory for 10 years, was a special guest at the unveiling of the prominent new landmark – which depicts the former occupant’s logo in stone along with the dates of the site’s acqusition by Boots in 1946 and that of its closure.
He said: “Boots was a great place to work and it was such a shame when it closed. I live about 10 minutes away; one day I walked past and thought it was such a shame that the younger generations probably don’t realise a factory was ever there and how much it meant to the people who worked there.
“I sent a couple of letters to the housebuilders and to Alex Neil MSP, but I didn’t think anything would happen – so I was amazed to hear they were going to put a memorial near the old factory entrance. The memorial is really impressive and it takes pride of place in the centre of the development; it’s a fantastic tribute.”
It was unveiled as both housebuilders marked the completion of their development at the site.
The Airdrie factory site stretched to 145 acres and was purchased by Boots in 1946, initially making its aspirin and saccharin tablets and reaching 600 employees by 1953.
Cosmetics and toiletries were added in the 1960s with the local factory producing No 7 and 17 cosmetics, Soltan sun lotions and Botanics and Natural Collection skincare items.
Taylor Wimpey sales and marketing director Audrey Ross said: “This is a unique opportunity for us to mark the legacy of the development and to provide a historical reference point.”
Bellway sales director Fraser Conn said: “It’s lovely to be able to celebrate the heritage of this site which played a crucial role in the lives of so many.”