Changing gear

New name to reflect engineering firm’s ownership

ONE of Oldham’s longest established engineering businesses has had a name change.

Hopwood Gear Ltd is the new title for precision engineers and gear specialists previously trading as Hopkinson and Hopwood Ltd.

The business, now under the day-to-day control of managing director Cory Hopwood, from Uppermill, the son of founder Nick, has been based at Brownlow Gear Works in Mossdown Road, Royton, since 1988.

From here, 23 specialist engineers work with 250 machines to create gears for a host of industries from biscuit-makers to the offshore oil industry.

The business specialises in a rapid turnaround of its quality product and offers an emergency service for one-offs and specials.

Over the last Bank Holiday weekend, while the managing director was at a barbecue, he received a call from a customer desperate for a replacement part for a printing press on Merseyside.

“I called two of our engineers and the next day the new gear was delivered to the customer,” said Cory during a tour of the company’s 20.000 sq ft of workshop space.

Catalyst for the name change was his father’s purchase of Alan Hopkinson’s shareholding, which he had held since his retirement from day-to-day involvement in the business in 2001.

Nick, who has retired from Royton to live in Cleveleys, continues at the business, but not on a daily basis, is fully supportive of the name change, which has been overseen by Cory and his daughter Louise Spate, who also works for the business.

Said Nick: “We wanted to more accurately reflect what we do and also reflect the new ownership.

“The name change has also been an excellent marketing tool. We have called many customers to inform them of the change and spoken to many others, whom we haven’t worked with for years, and the introduction has led to work from old customers.”

The company was formed by Royton men, Nick Hopwood and Alan Hopkinson in 1974.

They started two lathes and one milling machine in a small building in Bell Street, Mumps.

Twelve months later they bought the company’s first gear cutting machine and over time outgrew the small unit and moved to larger premises at the Star Iron Works in Greenacres.

Four years later, the partners invested in a universal milling machine that is still in use today.

Neither of the partners envisaged the growth that required a move to Moss Down Road and an expansion into specialist gear machines costing £250,000 each.

Cory admits that last year was, in his own words, very difficult with turnover taking a major hit, but slowly and surely the quality of product has hauled Hopwood Gear back to its position as one of the country’s leaders.