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Previous workers at the factory describe the atmosphere workers experienced whilst working as pleasant and that workers of the factory were like a family with days filled with laughter and singing. Previous employees felt the factory was more than a place to work. It had a number of sports teams and
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During 1992, with a backlog of products, Michael Gilbey and Brian Webb, marketing executives at the
Merthyr factory, thought they had the perfect solution to this particular problem. Their idea was to give two free flights to either Europe or America to each customer that purchased £100 worth of
58:
Building of the Hoover
Factory began in June 1946, with the first turf being cut by the Chairman and Managing Director of Hoover Ltd., C.B. Colston. Construction was completed and the factory opened in October 1948 with VIP visitors from London present.
55:, an industry which epitomised the area during much of the 18th and 19th centuries. After the decline of this industry and after the closure of the ironworks in 1882, the area was in need of and had the space available for new industries.
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motor car, was launched and later produced at the Hoover
Factory. After a few short months, the Sinclair C5 was deemed a failure and production stopped after Hoover took out a writ against Sinclair for £1.5 million of unpaid debt.
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122:, in 1995. Following the takeover, production continued but staff numbers fell. Further talk of job cuts continued throughout the 1990s and workers grew more concerned as the years went by.
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products, the factory underwent an extension during the late 60s/70s. This extension was officially opened with a visit from the Queen on the factory’s diamond jubilee in 1973.
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industry and the decline of coal mining in the area, the employment rates increased significantly. The factory was treated with a royal visit from
Princess Margaret in 1950.
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washing machines. The initial workforce consisted of only 350 people but throughout the years, the growth of the company saw this figure rise to 5,000 in the 1960s and 70s.
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Final production in the Hoover factory, Pentrebach, ceased on 13 May 2009, 61 years after it first opened, with the remaining 337 members of staff being left unemployed.
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Work continued in the Hoover factory until Candy announced that it would be moving production abroad to countries such as the Czech
Republic and the Far East.
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electrical goods. More than 200,000 people qualified for the flights during this promotion and unable to meet demand, Hoover lost a total of £20,000,000.
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In 2002, a fire tore through the factory which caused disruption to production and by 2004, amid talks of 130 job losses, the workers went on strike.
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When the factory first opened in 1948, it provided much needed employment for a relatively small number of people but after the growth of the
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events and the
Christmas parties held, not only for staff but for local children, giving the factory a real sense of community.
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After continuous financial problems, Hoover UK/Europe was sold to the
Italian-based company,
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It is now used as a warehouse and distribution centre for domestic goods for Hoover Candy.
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Originally, the land that the Hoover factory stands on was a part of the
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At its peak, the Hoover
Factory was the largest employer in the borough.
308:"Welsh Towns: Merthyr Tydfil, (Series Two, Episode Three: 22/01/2013)"
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359:
Johnstone, Bill (13 August 1985). "Hoover seek to recoup £1.5m".
376:"Great Financial Disasters of Our Time: The Hoover Fiasco"
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Buildings and structures in
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
204:"The Official Opening of the Factory of Hoover Limited"
36:, opened on 19 October 1948 in order to manufacture
230:"Merthyr Tydfil bids farewell to Hoover factory"
153:"Merthyr Tydfil bids farewell to Hoover factory"
178:"015 Taff Vale Industrial and Business Parks"
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282:"Hoover was Merthyr's lifeline for 60 years"
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428:"End of an era at Merthyr Hoover plant"
402:"End of an era at Merthyr Hoover plant"
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20:The Hoover Factory as it stands today
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182:Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
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24:The Hoover Factory, situated in
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256:"Hoover Washing Machines"
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385:24 November
344:10 February
318:23 November
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187:24 November
162:23 November
87:Sinclair C5
69:white goods
455:51°43′42″N
138:References
63:Production
26:Pentrebach
458:3°21′59″W
361:The Times
312:bbc.co.uk
485:Category
94:Decline
47:History
76:Hoover
38:Hoover
314:. BBC
120:Candy
34:Wales
439:2015
413:2015
387:2015
346:2016
320:2015
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