Stadco hosts return visit for Chatwood Safe Company employee to show that it’s still ‘Quality First’
15 October 2015
Stadco, the leading international supplier of body-in-white products and services to the automotive industry, recently welcomed local history enthusiast and former Chatwood Safe Company employee Bob Faulconbridge to its Shrewsbury facility for a VIP guided tour. The Chatwood Safe Company was located on the current Stadco Shrewsbury site on Harlescott Lane. Bob started his career as an apprentice in September 1938, eventually leaving the company in the early part of 1962.
Bob and his wife Brenda, were invited by Rob Glen, Facility Director of Stadco Shrewsbury following the publication of Bob’s book, which chronicles the history of the Chatwood Safe Company at Stadco’s Harlescott site.
Rob Glen commented: “Stadco has a rich and interesting history and Bob’s book records a fascinating period during the war, when it was contributing significantly to the war effort. Interestingly, back then, the company motto was ‘Quality First’, which is still our mantra today. Bob has managed to collate some remarkable images from this time and whilst the basic infrastructure of the site has not changed a great deal, internally it is now unrecognisable to how it was in Bob’s day. We wanted to take the opportunity to show Bob how it looks today and showcase the leading technology and processes we employ throughout the business.”
Commenting on their day at Stadco, Brenda said: “We enjoyed it very much, and Bob was very impressed with all he saw. Everyone was most helpful and informative, taking great care of us oldies!”
Stadco Shrewsbury manufactures a wide range of products for the automotive industry from stampings through to complex assemblies. The site continues to develop and has recently installed new a fully automated robotic assembly cell to manufacture complex rear-floor assemblies across four new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. The equipment is capable of producing up to 260,000 assemblies per year with 100 percent flexibility between vehicle build mix.
(High-res images available on request)
