With a workforce of just seven employees, the company was making decorative ware, vases, bowls and paperweights in soft pastel colours, that are rare collectors items today (many examples can be seen in the Nazeing Glass museum).  The equipment available to the Kemptons at that time was far from perfect and further investment was needed.  Help came in the form of John Ismay, a north country solicitor with interests in electric lamp manufacture.  Ismay wanted a glass works to supply the glass for his light bulb business.  In 1932 Richard Kempton, then aged 64, sold his shares in the company to Ismay who appointed his own Company Secretary, Malcolm Pollock-Hill, to run the glass works alongside Richard's sons Reginald and Cederic.

By the start of the second world war glass bulbs were by being mass produced in automatic plants and the future was looking bleak. Malcolm Pollock-Hill was soon called up for military service, until it was realised that Nazeing was capable of producing special Vitrite glass, then considered a vital war resource. Malcolm was immdiately sent back to Nazeing to direct production.  Throughout the war the factory was also required to supply the Admiralty with ships' signal lights and semaphore lenses.

As the land was "liable to flooding" there was no insurance compensation. Malcolm Pollock-Hill was staring ruin in the face.  Barclays Bank advised closure, but Malcolm talked to four merchant banks and was guided towards a possible saviour. Robert Mayer had recently inherited from his father and decided to buy a half share for £50,000, becoming joint shareholder and Managing Director. The last of the  Kemptons, Cederic, at this point departed.