Bob Walter MP opens new William Hughes factory in Stalbridge

Saturday 6th December saw the official opening of the new William Hughes factory in Stalbridge, Dorset. At a bumper gathering attended by staff, friends, suppliers and representatives from both town and county councils, Mr Bob Walter, Conservative MP for North Dorset, declared the new 87,000 sq ft facility officially open. The jazz band struck up, the hog roast turned and wire Christmas ornaments rolled off machines normally reserved for such items as car seat frames and specialist aerospace springs.

Managing Director Max Hughes took great delight in showing off the extensive facilities to guests, demonstrating the automatic wire bending and welding machines and thanking staff, in particular his daughter Emma Burgon, Engineering Director, for all their hard work in organising the £3 million refurbishment. Emma represents the eighth generation involved in this family business, first established in 1790, and retaining all.the traditional virtues of a family firm - commitment to its customers, loyalty to its staff and extreme concern for quality and service
William Hughes employs over 100 people in Stalbridge and enjoys a group turnover in excess of £12½ million. In its core disciplines of bespoke spring and wire form design and manufacture, the company can call upon a capability and expertise well beyond almost any other company operating within the same field. Its facilities are amongst the most extensive and sophisticated in Europe. With factories in Stalbridge, Dorset and Plovdiv, Bulgaria, William Hughes has combined modern technology with traditional skills to bring products to market in the most refined, cost-effective and timely way possible.

Acknowledging the success achieved by William Hughes and its contribution to Dorset enterprise, Bob Walter declared “It is fantastic to celebrate such a huge local success story with this family-run business now at the forefront of its highly specialist field; designing, manufacturing and supplying its wire-based products to high tech aerospace and automotive companies across the world.
I think William Hughes is a company of which both Stalbridge and North Dorset can be very proud”

William Hughes’ new factory opening. From L to R: Engineering Director Emma Burgon; Dorset County Councillor Andrew Cattaway; Managing Director Max Hughes; Bob Walter MP and Graham Carr-Jones, Chairman of Stalbridge Town Council.