Page 65 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 6-2019

F ROM THE BEGINNINGS

TO THE 21ST CENTURY
The story of Beatson
Clark began when John Wright,
Aaron Walker, Mr Hirst and Dr
John Pearson leased land from
the Earl of Effingham to build
a glassworks in Masbrough by
the side of the new canal, taking
advantage of convenient supplies
of coal and water. In 1783, John
Beatson from Emley leased the
glassworks and established the
family business, putting his son
and nephew in charge. The firm
of Beatson Clark remained in SUPPLYING BOTTLES AND food is our largest market, but
the hands of the same family for JARS TO THE PHARMA AND pharmaceuticals are still a very
the next two centuries until it FOOD INDUSTRIES significant sector for us.”
finally became Beatson, Clark & “We supply bottles and jars to For many years, bottles were
Company Ltd in 1910. some of the world’s best known produced at the plant using the
Fast forward to the 21st cen- pharmaceuticals manufactur- traditional mouth-blown method,
tury and Beatson Clark is now ers including Boots, Thornton but at the start of the 20th century
the largest manufacturer of phar- and Ross, Bell’s, Seven Seas and modernisation of the glassworks
maceutical glass containers in the Reckitt Benckiser,” said Marketing began and by the 1970’s Beatson
UK, with over 330 employees Manager Charlotte Taylor. Clark was fully automated. The
and an annual turnover of GBP “In the 1970s we began sup- demands of the First World War
50 million. In the intervening plying customers in the food and brought about a number of chang-
years it has diversified its cus- beverage industry, and nowadays es, demolitions and extensions at
tomer base and now most of the
bottles and jars it manufactures
are for the food and beverage
sectors including brewing and
spirits.

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