Farrel leads the way

Peter Gaskell Site Director

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Manufacturing business Farrel Limited, based on Queensway in Castleton, is one of five Rochdale companies that received funding totalling £2m from the Regional Growth Fund, supported and delivered by the Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Employing 170 people, Farrel is a key world player as part of the HF Mixing Group of companies that designs, develops and produces mixing and compounding machinery for the rubber processing and tyre making industry.

The money has enabled the company to spend £1.1 million on the latest machining centre technology, slashing production time across many of its processes and reducing lead time from between 16 to 18 weeks to less than nine.

Site Director, Peter Gaskell, said: “A growing order book, the need to shorten lead times to meet delivery targets, machine reliability problems and maintenance charges, coupled with the need to offset the growing lack of conventionally skilled operators in the future, led us to look at our longer term business strategy and production capability.

“We trialled the various options and staff and works personnel were involved in making the final decision so they could see for themselves the advances in technology and the benefits it would bring. We all agreed that one company, 2d CNC, excelled. Their Toyoda Machining Centre method was not only the most productive, sustainable and effective in the long term, but also we know we will receive the support we need to get the most out of the investment.”

John Hudson, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency, said: “We work closely with local manufacturing companies to help them grow, whether ths is finding new premises or helping them secure funding or other support”.

“Farrel has a turnover of more than £30 million and has increased its employment due to newly won orders from 138 to 170 over the last three years, including a number of new apprentices. It’s fantastic to see the huge difference that this recent investment is making to Farrels and other businesses across the borough”.

Farrel is the originator of the Banbury Mixer which became the accepted ‘standard’ in tangential mixing technology and was adopted around the world as the top choice by the tyre industry and its compounders. Today the company exports 98 per cent of the UK’s production, which is equal to at least 50 machines a year.