john56:
Great to see the picture of the old Guy, if my memory serves me correct it was one of the Longton “Guys” i first worked on when i first started as an apprentice panel beater in 1970.
The foreman was a very skilled chap called Ken Stonier.
The pay was terrible but it was a great company to work for, very sad to see it all gone.
Longton Cranes is now gone too,closed for good, the last remnant of the Dale’s empire.
Where did it all go wrong??
Evening all, gosh Im really sad to read your post. What made Richard close Longton Crane Hire, lack of work, rates, H&S…could be anyone of them I suppose?
Where did it go wrong? The family (misguidedly) went outside for expertise, created a holding Group based down at Berry Hill, appointed a non family man as Chairman, (thinking that he knew more about business than they did), allowed Institutional shareholders into the business, quietly acquiesced to stupidly large loans from ICFC, (and anyone in business in the 70s knows what strings were attached to them)!!! Moved away from their core businesses, and pressurised good MDs of sound Group businesses to make decisions to increase the short term returns, (to appease the requirements of the Institutional shareholders), rather than developing “their” businesses for long term stability and prosperity.
Oh, lets not forget the Group Financial Director, and the “dear” Managing Director, who in order to “shine” in front of their new “City” friends made a statement to the Evening Standard regarding the “Crock of gold at the end of the rainbow”, refering to Bulk Storage`s, and Longton Transports Yards in the as yet undeveloped Dockland on the Thames…Every predator in the world was after the Group, and its assets. Well, it was Bearman and Askins Thompson T Line, (the Diamond Corporation of South Africa, merely used the bankrupt Scottish caravan manufacturer as a vehicle for the takeover, and subsequent asset stripping).
And of course they got it, stripped it, sold off bits, and the last bit of Dale ownership was Richards Crane hire. So its gone, and the hard dedicated and in most cases poorly remunerated work of many, many “Potters”, quite ruined my very good day fencing the fields. I shall raise a large Bollinger in the direction of Longton, and Stoke in general. Lots of ordinary families suffering anguish because of the British disease…and its an epidemic…short termism!!!
Cheerio for now.
