The Factory Next Door

Spend a day in any major city from Seoul to San Francisco and you’ll spot them weaving through the traffic – a bicycle with distinctive small wheels and arched top tube.Brompton’s folding bike is an example of a great British design that’s loved around the world. More than 1.2m have now been sold.Number 49 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Folding Bicycle.On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to Greenford in West London to meet the team making these beautiful bikes.CEO Will Butler-Adams OBE explains why they are an engineering company that makes bicycles, not the other way around. We go for a quick ride, see bikes being beaten up, and learn why manufacturing in London is integral to Brompton’s future.Plus, we chat about what success looks like, learn where the name ‘Brompton’ came from, consider truck-driving in clogs, and explore how businesses can help drive positive change.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pitching a 24-metre-long tent is one thing. Manufacturing one requires a whole different set of skills, including cloth cutting, sewing, woodwork and a good understanding of mathematics.On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to North Yorkshire to meet a team striving to keep alive the ancient art of tent making.Number 48 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Wedding Tent by Wills Marquees.Co-founder Chris Brawn gives us a tour of their workshop as we learn about the beauty of light cutting through cotton, consider why tent-making is both easy and difficult, and ask whether nice people can succeed in business.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Smalls are a big market. Annual underwear sales in the UK top £400m. Much of it used to be made domestically (with a thriving cluster in south Wales), but, in the past 15 years, that industry has dramatically shrunk. Today, just a few artisan lingerie companies survive.On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to New Tredegar in South Wales to meet Naomi Edmondson, the founder of lingerie company Edge o’ Beyond.Number 46 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Luxury Lingerie.Naomi gives us a tour of her factory as we chat about the challenges of keeping lingerie manufacturing alive in the Welsh valleys. Plus, we talk about the physical power of beautifully made underwear and being banned from social media.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every company has a lifespan. Some have two.Over the course of a century, glasses-maker Curry & Paxton went from pioneering new optical instruments, to becoming a key supplier to the NHS, to appearing in iconic movies. Then, in 1987, they vanished.On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we visit the workshop where they are breathing new life into this heritage British brand.Number 44 on our list of the greatest products we make here are The Optical Glasses.Peter Lynes, director at Curry & Paxton tells us why, after a 30-year career working with British clothing brands, he wanted to jump into the world of eyewear and revive this glasses maker. During our factory tour, Peter shares insights into how to build a brand and explains why he now wakes up with a heightened sense of purpose.Also on the show, glasses maker Mila gives thanks to his Grandad and celebrates a machine maker who transformed his life.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are somethings you can’t know about a company until you’ve bought it and had a riffle through the filing cabinets. In the case of clothing maker Buffalo Systems, it was numerous letters of appreciation from special forces, the military, and mountain rescue teams. Number 42 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Mountain Shirt by Buffalo.Broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle and Savile Row tailor James Sleater acquired the Sheffield-based company earlier this year. On this week’s show, they explain why they had always wanted to buy the company. Plus, we also get an exclusive look at a special new product, consider why Britain has so few global luxury brands, and hear why slow growth is sustainable growth. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the ultra-wealthy want a new set of bespoke bedding for their mansion or superyacht, they email a mill that sits just outside Blackburn, Lancashire. Peter Reed – whose customers include the Royal Household – has been producing handcrafted bedding for more than 160 years. Number 40 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Bed Linen. Managing Director Sean Clayton explains how the company survived as the British cotton industry rapidly declined, questions why some skills are under-appreciated, and reveals why he never talks politics or religion. We also learn how a single duvet cover can take five hours to complete with 12 embroidery machines, each with nine bobbins on, stitching simultaneously. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, Blue Ghost became the first commercial lunar lander to touch down on the moon. Crucial to that mission’s success was its engine – a rocket designed and built in the Buckinghamshire countryside. Number 38 on our list of the greatest items we make in Britain is The Rocket Engine. At a former military base, Dr Ian Coxhill, chief engineer at Nammo UK, shows us around the workshops where propulsion systems are made for space agencies and commercial operators. Ian demonstrates how to recreate the conditions of space at ground level, reflects on the art of engineering, and offers evidence to suggest robots aren’t going to replace humans yet. Plus, we hear the roar of a rocket engine as one is put through its paces at the test facility. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American sneaker market is worth $25bn. It is the biggest in the world – and growing. But it’s a crowded market. You need a stellar USP to stand out. Sheffield-based trainer-maker Goral has one – and it’s finding success selling to US sneakerheads. Number 36 on our list of the greatest items we make here is The Resoleable Sneaker. On this week’s episode of The Factory Next Door, Dom Goral shows us how they’ve designed leather trainers with soles that can be replaced. We chat about relocating the factory from Poland to a former school in Yorkshire, how influencers have helped build the brand in America, and why it’s good to question every part of the process. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Please consider voting for the show at this year’s British Podcast Awards: www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You must be delicate shaping it. You must be aggressive smoothing it. Glass might be full of contradictions, but it’s consistent in its beauty. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to Rothschild & Bickers’ glassblowing studio in Hertford to learn what it takes to turn molten silica into art for the walls and the ceiling. Number 34 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Glass Lampshade. Founders Victoria Rothschild and Mark Bickers explain why glass making is a team sport, celebrate the fire in glory holes, and consider the perfect size for their business. Also on the show, I have a go at making my own water glass and am reminded that, no, I cannot do two things at the same time. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These are tough times for Britain’s celebrated shoemakers – sales to Europe have been squeezed since 2019, tax-free shopping for overseas tourists has been scrapped, and recent geopolitical events have dented consumer confidence. To survive, it helps if your brand has a long history and a cult following. Thankfully for Tricker’s they have both. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to Northampton to visit Britain’s oldest shoemaker. Number 32 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Country Brogue. Martin Mason, Managing Director at Tricker’s, chats to us about pushing forward a brand that’s 196 years old, competing with warehouses for staff, and the joy to be found in vocational work. We also contemplate size 18 shoes, wonder what a gimping machine is, and marvel at glazed brick tiles. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world loves Scotch whisky. Forty-four bottles are exported every single second – that’s 1.4bn a year. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands to learn what it takes to build a distillery. Number 31 on our list of the greatest products we make in Britain is The Single Malt. Alex Bruce, Managing Director of the Ardnamurchan Distillery, tells us why he’s not worried about US tariffs, explains why he does worry about dust, and reveals the reason they put the distillery in such a remote location. We also see a giant underground bunker, consider whisky Jenga, and learn how the whisky is bringing families back to the area. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being a tailor is a profession. It has been since 1563 when laws were passed that stated you could only trade as a tailor if you had served your term learning the craft. Today, there are around 13,000 tailors across the UK, and while Savile Row may be synonymous with the craft, most tailors are working their magic in our satellite cities and market towns. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to Macclesfield to meet Brita. She’s a celebrated tailor in her own right, as well as being the driving force behind The Tailoring Academy – a school teaching our next generation of tailors. Number 29 on our list of the greatest products we make in Britain is The Three-Piece Suit. As we explore the Academy, Brita explains why having an engineers' mind helps to be a good tailor, the zen-like state you must journey into when spending hours hand-sewing, and we celebrate operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti. We also catch up with a former student to learn how the craft has changed his life, and discover why tailors, when they first meet, never look each other in the eye. Please consider buying me a coffee to keep this show on the roadhttps://buymeacoffee.com/thefactorynextdoor (you don’t need to register or create an account!) Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.