A new-look HQ for firm with strong links to the beer trade
A HISTORIC Burton firm with long links to the town’s brewing heritage has doubled its turnover during the pandemic and has now unveiled its new-look headquarters after a multi-million-pound investment.
Briggs of Burton was established nearly 300 years ago and specialises in brewing equipment and engineering.
Briggs, has now unveiled its newlook HQ after seeing rapid growth in new industries despite the pandemic. It has enjoyed its best yearly performance to date and has refurbished and extended its Midlands headquarters, in Derby Street, into a new global technical centre.
Started by Samuel Briggs in 1884 after he acquired Thornewill & Wareham, Briggs of Burton’s history can be traced back to 1732.
It was originally based in Moor Street before moving to make way for the fire station to what is now the site of the Octagon Centre shopping centre in New Street in the 1950s.
The company, which moved to its present Derby Street base in 1988, had the telephone number Burton 2 more than a century ago, with the fire station being Burton 1.
Today the company employs more than 200 staff across four sites: Burton, Prestonpans in Scotland, Rochester, New York, and Shanghai.
It provides turnkey process engineering solutions for leading companies across North America, Europe, Central America, Africa, Australia, Japan and China.
Robert Buxton, managing director of Briggs of Burton Plc, said: “It was the right time to invest and create the headquarters of the future, empowering our employees to deliver world-class sustainable solutions for our clients across all of our sectors.
“Our team pride themselves on health and safety and quality, and these underpin everything we do.
Our ultimate goal is creating an environment to grow our team and nurture the next generation of innovative engineers.”
New shower and changing facilities mean staff can take advantage of the site’s close proximity to the rail station and encourage the use of public transport or cycle to work where possible, said a Briggs spokesman. Mr Buxton said: “Briggs of Burton Plc has longstanding connections with the town and so it is only fitting that the development of our Global Technical Centre should be here in the heart of the brewing capital and where it all began.
“Briggs of Burton are leading exciting new projects and developing engineering solutions, which focus on carbon neutrality and sustainable manufacturing processes. We are extremely proud to continue manufacturing in Britain, and Burton, as we have done since starting in 1732.” Through continued growth in the distilling industry, Briggs of Burton last year acquired Scottish copper still equipment manufacturer Mcmillan (Coppersmiths & Fabricators) Ltd based in Prestonpans just outside Edinburgh. Advancements in hygienic process engineering has also seen Briggs specialising in pharmaceutical projects including the design, build and installation of marketleading inhalant manufacturing systems
We are extremely proud to continue manufacturing in Britain, and Burton, as we have done since starting in 1732.
across Western Europe and North America for some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
Marking the launch of the new global technical centre, George Crombie, engineering director, said it was a momentous day for the company as it marked a new era.
He said: “For Briggs this is the start of a new chapter and a catalyst for our ongoing growth to ensure we continue to ‘deliver what we promise’ to our customers and offer the most sustainable engineering solutions assisting them to move towards carbon neutrality. It is an exciting time at Briggs, and we are looking
The former Briggs site in Moor Street photographed in June 1969 to our future.
“We are proud to be not only investing in the town where it all began but also in our employees – the people who make Briggs what it is today.”
Famous town structures with links to Briggs include the Ferry Bridge and the malt shovel monument at the corner of New Street and High Street.
The shovel was designed in 2001 by artist and film maker Andy Hazell and funded by a £45,000 National Lottery grant. It features a 9ft bottleshaped opening in the blade so people can walk through the giant metal creation.