Gripple celebrates 30 years at historic Sheffield headquarters

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Gripple, one of Sheffield’s biggest employers, is celebrating 30 years at its iconic headquarters at the Old West Gun Works.

The building, which first opened as a gun factory in 1852, is located on Savile Street East and might be familiar to Sheffielders due to the unique spider sculpture on the side of the wall.

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The employee-owned manufacturer moved to the site in 1994 with the building being opened by HRH The Prince of Wales, who commented that it was “one of the finest refurbishments of a listed building that I have ever seen”, a sentiment echoed by Gripple founder and chairman, Hugh Facey OBE, he said: “When I first walked into The Old West Gun Works I knew we’d found a home for Gripple. The building is spectacular and truly encapsulates the manufacturing spirit that has existed in Sheffield for centuries.” 

After inventing the Gripple wire tensioner and joiner, Hugh Facey established Gripple Ltd. in Sheffield, opening the Old West Gun Works as its first manufacturing site. At the time it employed 17 permanent staff with three machines. Today, the business employs over 550 people across seven manufacturing sites in Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

Gripple celebrates 30 years at Old West Gunworks HeadquartersGripple celebrates 30 years at Old West Gunworks Headquarters
Gripple celebrates 30 years at Old West Gunworks Headquarters

Hugh comments on its incredible journey: “With Gripple, from the outset, I wanted to do things differently. I wanted everyone to believe in the business as much as I did, to innovate and make a difference. Today, we’re a global manufacturer, with employee-owners all around the world. But we’ve stayed true to our strong roots in Sheffield. The Old West Gun Works is the perfect example of this – an advanced manufacturing site in every sense of the word. That is owed to the hard work and dedication of all our people. This fantastic milestone is a celebration of them.”

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Gripple, which employs over 950 people globally, is a purpose-driven business, 100% owned by its employees. This unique approach to business inspires its people to challenge, innovate and create, sharing the benefits of its sustainable growth with customers, communities and employee shareholders.

The world’s leading manufacturer of wire joiners and tensioners, as well as anchoring, bracing and suspension systems that have changed the game for many industries, Gripple invests significantly in innovation and maintains a strong relationship to manufacturing in Sheffield.

To learn more about the Old West Gun Works and Gripple, visit www.gripple.com.

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