The History
The Midlands has always been a strong arm in the UK’s manufacturing industry.
Since the humble Cromford Mill was built in 1771, the East Midlands became the first place anywhere in the world
where a modern factory could be commissioned to complete the work of 10 men in just a fraction of the time.
In addition to the world’s first factory, the East Midlands is also honoured by the existence of the oldest working factory still in use today,
the John Smedley Mills. Built in 1783, this titan of industry has been employing workers and servicing the textile industry for over 241 years.
Both of these sites together create the East Midlands’ only World Heritage Site, the Derwent Valley Mills.
And the tradition of exemplary manufacturing continues all through the modern era;
Worlds First Knitting Machine – Calverton, 1587
Worlds First Factory – Lincoln, 1771
World First Gas Turbine, Nuneaton, 1791
Worlds First Steel Railway Tracks, Derby, 1857
Worlds first Red & Green Traffic Lights, Nottingham, 1868
Worlds First Diesel engine, Grantham, 1892
Invention of Tarmac, Denby, 1902
Worlds first Tank, Lincoln, 1915
Largest Steel Works in Britain, Corby, 1936
World First Jet Powered Flight, RAF Cranwell, 1941
Invention of the collapsible Baby Buggy, Barby, 1965
The Modern Era
Even having long since passed the turn of the millennium, the East Midlands continues lead the way in British manufacturing; with 23% of the economic output in the East Midlands coming from manufacturing, compared to just 15% in the UK as a whole.
Some of the UK’s most prestigious manufacturing bases call the East Midlands their home. Rolls-Royce (Aircraft Engines) and Rolls-Royce Marine Power Operations
are both based in Derby. Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery produces Industrial Gas Turbines in Lincoln,
with ITP Engines (a former division of Siemens) producing aero-engine components out of Whetstone.
Fans of Formula One Racing will be well acquainted with the fact that 80% of the worlds Formula One cars
are produced in Northamptonshire. From Nobel & Fenix Automotive in Braunstone, to Cosworth and MAHLE Powertrain
in the city of Northampton, Force India and Delta Motorsport in Silverstone or even Mercedes-Benz F1 based out of Brackley.
Titans of industry such as JCB power systems, Toyota Manufacturing UK, Bombardier UK all choose to make the East midlands their home.
Bombardier UK is of particular note as they produced the trains which carry over 1 billion passengers through the London Underground every single year.
With such a rich and well stocked history of industry magnates in the region, it’s likely that the
East Midlands will always remain near the top of the list as an ideal location for any prospective manufacturer.
