Nazeing Glass Works - History 1961-present

History


1961 - today During the early 1960's the company bought a half share in George Davidson & Sons in Newcastle. After purchasing the share in Davidson’s, Malcolm Pollock-Hill stepped down as Managing Director, becoming Chairman. His replacement was Les Eyre, one of the original employees who had joined the firm as a fourteen year old boy in 1931.
Throughout the first half of the 60's, Nazeing Glass were manufacturing dishes for F.W. Woolworths and cereal bowls for Nestle. Alongside these the factory was making small pots for Colmans Mustard and over 1.5 million road danger lenses a year. Around this time Guinness asked for an exclusive pub ashtray, similar to those being made in France. Other brewers soon followed, and by the mid 1980's Nazeing was making over one and a half million ashtrays a year, exporting to 164 countries worldwide. Robert Mayer retired in 1970, but expansion continued with the company taking over most of the production of the famous Sowerby Ellisons' Glass Works when it closed in 1973, however on 20th April 1978 the company suffered an unexpected blow when Les Eyre died suddenly. Works Director David Johnson and Sales Director John Macer both then assumed the role of joint MD and together they guided the company through the 1980's until their retirements in 1987 and 1991 respectively. During this time, in 1984, Malcolm Pollock-Hill retired as Chairman, his son Stephen becoming the next generation of the Pollock-Hill family at Nazeing.
The company went through difficult times during the 1990's but by the end of the decade Nazeing had made a good recovery, although the area allocated to glass making had been reduced and the spare factory and warehouse space rented out to other companies. Nazeing Glass Investments Limited was established to look after the property letting side of the business.
		Since the year 2000, Nazeing Glass Works has made steady progress, while sadly other British glass companies have lost their way and failed. September 2007 saw the opening of the new 20th Century British Domestic Glass Museum, which has the largest collection of British glass on permanent display in the UK and in 2009 the launch of Thames Water's "London On Tap" campaign saw Nazeing commence manufacturing of the winning "Tap Top" design carafe, for use in restaurants and bars across the capital.

For more information Tel: +44 (0)1992 464485 Fax: +44 (0)1992 450966 or email: sales@nazeing-glass.co.uk