2 weeks Ago
A family-run manufacturing firm is celebrating 55 years of being in business. Ajax Equipment in Mule Street , near Bolton town centre, was founded in 1970 by Lyn Bates and Bill Waters. More than five decades on, it is still running, having come through multiple economic crises, steadily growing its workforce.
Ajax makes bespoke equipment for factories, having supplied companies from all sides of the globe, including North Korea, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Australia and America, as well as in the UK and Europe. The company makes solids handling equipment, which aims to improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes. Co-owner and finance director Mark Waters said: "The company started in 1970, with two people starting it off.
"One was my father, the other was Lyn Bates, and where we are today is a really positive, growing company. "We have been a steady employer, having grown to a force of 25 people over the years. "We have apprentices, looking forward to the new generation.
"We also have had former apprentices who qualify and are now skilled craftsmen on the shop floor." Long screw conveyor (Image: Ajax Equipment) Read more: Hopes for family-run Bolton shop which closed after 35 years to reopen Read more: WH Smith profits continue to jump as company sells high street division Read more: Landmark celebrations for leading Bolton business which reveals secret of its success He added: "We have weathered multiple recessions and Covid. "It started off in a bad time, with the three day week, power cuts, inflation, high interest rates - if you can get through that, everything else is a doddle, really! "You have got to have the strength of the business to weather those storms.
"I have been here since 1987, though one of my colleagues has been on the shop floor for 47 years. "Over the years we have had digitisation and communication, those are positive improvements, but on the negative side, there is a lack of skills available in the country. "That is why we are recruiting people, training to redress that balance.
"It is difficult to recruit good quality mechanical engineers, craftsmen and for the design team." To learn more about Ajax, see their website: https://www.ajax.
co.uk/index.htm Mark added: "For the business, our proper approach to design through characterising the raw materials.
"We do tests on equipment and with the specific materials our customers use, for example a certain grain, or flour. "From that information, we design something new that will flow reliably. It is all bespoke.
"Ajax has consistently delivered on providing the most excellent solutions technically with a customer focus on quality, price and delivery.".
