Foundry shaping a solid future with furniture hit
A TRADITIONAL foundry has diversified into making a famous brand of garden furniture – with orders from across Europe.
Alan Butterworth, managing director of Glen Castings, of Burnley Road, Bacup, spotted Jardine Leisure was selling its gravity die cast moulds for its range of garden furniture and realised the potential for his business.
Alan took down some of the products to a trade show at the Birmingham NEC, where they were a big hit. He explained: “The opportunity to buy the moulds came at just the right time for us.
“The furniture it created was durable, of excellent quality and has been photographed with many famous people, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono.”
Glen Castings has been approached by bathroom manufacturer Thomas Crapper to make a cistern, and has had other orders from Sweden and Cyprus.
They will be showcasing the furniture at the Royal Horticultural Society Show and also at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
Jim and June Butterworth founded the business in Stacksteads, and when son Alan joined the company in 1973 it was supposed to be just for six months as he planned to join the army.