South Yorkshire Times, February 9, 1957
Prospect at Denaby factory in Next six months
The “South Yorkshire Times” was officially informed this week that by closing down their factory at Chesterfield and concentrating part of the production at the Denaby Westfalite factory, Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd., expect that work for over 100 additional young woman will become available during the next six months.Mr. A. D. Lees, Division Labour /manager for the I. C. I. Noble division, told us that on January 16th it was announced with regret that a decision had been made to close a Chesterfield factory which assembles electric detonators.
Electric Detonators
This decision was reached after a prolonged and thorough investigation of all the factors involved in producing the divisions requirements of electric detonators, and it had been dictated by the need to effect the maximum economy in overall production costs. At present the Nobel Division has three factories engaged in the production of electric detonators, and the investigation showed that a significant economy in overall production costs could be achieved by closing one of the factories and concentrating the production in the remaining two factories.
The decision to close a Chesterfield factory was made because alternative work for woman was more readily available there then in the areas of the other factories; Chesterfield had no rail access and was enclosed in a built-up residential area; it had the smallest output and its production could more readily be transferred to the other factories, Westfalite, at Denaby, and Westquarter near Falkirk. Scotland.
Production at Chesterfield will be gradually reduced during the three months before the July 27th, the date of closure. During that period, production will be transferred to the Westfalite and West quarter factories, and in consequence the employment level in these factories will rise, there are at present about 250 women employed at Denaby in electric detonator assembly.