Future focus for Grimsby engineering firm as it slips port moorings after major investment

One of Grimsby’s longest standing businesses has bid an emotional farewell to the town’s docks.

Bacon Engineering, a fifth generation family firm woven into the maritime history of the port, has completed its move to South Humberside Industrial Estate.

In what has been a near four-year project, a 360 sq m machining shop has been opened alongside the first phase fabrication base and office suite, with significant investment in new equipment to enhance capabilities following the relocation from the Kasbah area.

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David Bacon, managing director, said: “We’re delighted to be here. This is the future, it is a huge step forward for us to have such a facility, but there is sadness to see the old place go - the business had been on the docks since 1899.

“The premises allow us to demonstrate our capabilities, we’ve had to balance our heritage and our past with the modern technology - we still have a need for both to service our customers.”

Bacon Engineering's operations director Darren Glew, left, and managing director David Bacon, outside the new machining workshop on South Humberside Industrial Estate, Grimsby. (Reach Plc)

A new addition is a five metre plus XL 750 lathe. “It is something we have been able to commission since moving over and unique in size and scale regionally, so it gives us a USP.”

Recent months have seen Bacon add six staff to take headcount to 22, with framework wins helping secure more work.

“We have had some really good awards with customers, big national and international customers, who we are now working with directly,” Mr Bacon, a former Royal Navy officer, said.

“We are seeing the fruits of what we have been doing, and we now have a place we’re proud to show to any prospective customer.”

The new XL 750 5m plus lathe at Bacon Engineering. The latest technology sits alongside equipment that has supported customers for generations. (Reach Plc)

Darren Glew, operations director, said one of the biggest challenges had been moving over while maintaining service, with both highlighting the marginal gains brought from operational efficiency.

“We’d like to thank all our suppliers and customers for their support, we’re fully operational now and we have seen that with the shared resources and facilities it is very much a case of being greater than the sum of our parts,” Mr Glew said. “Being on one site allows us to be more flexible, and agile.”

Bacon focuses on an industrial customer base, serving chemical and pharmaceutical industries, food, power, utilities and maritime needs.

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