LEADING RUBBER MACHINERY MANUFACTURER RESTRUCTURES OPERATIONS

Barwell, a household name in the rubber industry, has recently undergone a significant restructuring to ensure it remains competitive in the global marketplace, without compromising its longstanding reputation of high quality and service.  While the head-office of Barwell Global, as it has been renamed, will remain in Cambridge, UK, an investment of $1.1m has been made in a purpose-built manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China, to dramatically reduce its overheads.

The investment in the new manufacturing facility is backed by the company’s major shareholder, Dr Shieh, a successful Taiwanese businessman running a $ multi-million group of manufacturing, logistics and trading companies in China.  Design and development will remain in the UK, while permanent UK engineering personnel will oversee the manufacturing process in China.  Machines will be built to CE specification using the company’s current European suppliers for high-quality parts and materials.  The company has also replicated its rigorous test procedures in the new manufacturing plant to ensure all machines meet its high-standards for strong, robust and reliable equipment.

“This is an exciting time in the company’s long history,” commented Steve Bradshaw, Sales Director.  “The commitment, expertise and enthusiasm from Dr Shieh’s organisation helped us to make the transition to manufacturing in China as seamlessly as possible.  Our customers can be assured of proven high-quality equipment from a stable and secure company.” 

As well as product design and development, the UK headquarters will offer worldwide sales, spares and service support.  Barwell’s export success over the last 50 years has allowed the company to form a direct presence in North America, through Barwell Machinery USA, China, through Barwell China and South America, through Barwell do Brasil.  In addition, its established network of agents cover more than 40 further countries to offer consistent and responsive regional support for its customers.

Barwell originally started as a retreading business way back in 1926 when retreading was in its infancy.  The founder of the Company, Reginald Barwell, set a pattern which exists in the company to this day – the products must be good value for money, of excellent quality, and all dealings, with suppliers and customers alike, must be honest and straightforward. 

Reginald’s two sons, John and Eric, eventually joined the business and in the late 1930’s John became involved in the development of novel machinery, the Barwell Ram Extruder, used initially in Barwell’s own retreading factory.  The success of the ram extruder led to the foundation of a machinery business in the early 1950’s.

It soon became apparent that rubber moulders everywhere were having the same problems as we had experienced, and in 1966 the new Precision Preformer began to attract orders from all over the world.  Its success led, in 1969, to our first Queen’s Award for both Export Achievement and Technological Innovation.  The Barwell Preformer is now regarded as standard equipment for blank preparation by the industry world-wide, and today there are Barwell Preformers in operation in no less than 75 countries!

The machinery business quickly grew into the major activity on the Barwell site and in 1969 a subsidiary company was formed in Ohio, USA, to handle sales and service of our equipment in North America. 

A second Queen’s Award for Export Achievement was presented in 1974 and a third in 1986.  In 1976, the two Barwell brothers, after a lifetime with the company, decided to sell the business and retire.  The Company is still exporting over 80% of its machinery overseas, and the pattern set by Reginald Barwell all those years ago continues to ensure that the name Barwell is known and respected in rubber companies, large and small, throughout the world.

Barwell Brazil office opened in 1984 and the Barwell China facility opened in 2005.

Barwell International ceased trading in October 2008. The operation and assets were purchased by Barwell Global Ltd which started up in December 2008.