Marking the Last Pour of Molten Iron with Pride
On Thursday 26 September at 2:15pm, we marked the last pour of molten iron at our beloved 143-year-old Holwell Works foundry in Melton Mowbray.
As most of you are aware, Holwell has been at the forefront of ductile iron road ironwork manufacturing for over 140 years, employing generations of families from the local area to produce our right first time access covers, gully gratings and surface boxes that adorn the UK’s paths, roads and highways.
But, as the English poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer said, all good things must come to an end.
The last pour marks a key milestone in our production move to our sister site at Blénod.
As we take a moment to reflect, we want to thank all the men and women who have served us proud – past and present.
We also want to give special thanks to the Holwell team for their unwavering professionalism and hard work since the announcement of the closure. Their ongoing dedication during this personally difficult time is greatly admired and appreciated.
“For many colleagues past and present, Holwell will be fondly remembered for years to come. This was evident in recent weeks when we welcomed back former employees to retrace familiar foundry steps and share memories.
“Our final pour of molten iron was a moment of immense pride and sadness. Pride to have been part of a site with such a rich history in the community and sadness for colleagues and friends who said their final goodbyes to colleagues with whom they have built long friendships.
“On behalf of everyone at Saint-Gobain PAM, I’d like to express my thanks and admiration to the Holwell team for the amazing job they have done under difficult circumstances.
“A number of employees will continue working on site in our finishing and assembly lines, where they will continue to work until the end of this year, helping us continue to meet our customers’ needs.
“Throughout the Blénod production transfer process, we remain as committed as ever to continuing to support customers with the service and solutions they need. However, we will be doing this with solutions that have a significantly lower carbon footprint, helping our customers to also achieve their own sustainability goals."
