THE BBC’s Michael Portillo got his hands dirty at one of Redditch’s oldest firms, Entaco, which will appear on his Great British Railways Journey TV show.
The programme follows Bradshaw’s 1863 book which guided readers through the best trips in the country and the towns they went through, which included Redditch.
The needle factory will be shown on Tuesday, January 19, at 6.30pm on BBC2 and will feature how the town’s claim to fame is still going strong after 300 years in the business.
Entaco’s units on Hemming Road have been there for about 20 years but their brand, John James, has been around since 1840 and the original Studley branch opened in the 1700s.
They are the only place in the country and one of just three in the world to make specialist quality needles including curved and the finest needles for various crafts everyday.
Karen Parry, sales and marketing manager, said: “So many people use needles for so many hobbies but they never really think about where they come from or how they are made. A lot of people believe you just press a button on a machine which makes the needle but the process actually hasn’t changed much since the Victorian days.”
Entaco was once the biggest employer in the town, with about 1,000 staff. They now have 120 employees some of whom have worked there for decades.
“It’s not quite right to say it is a family business but we do have families who work here,” said Karen. “Many of our employees have worked here for more than 50 years. We are so proud of the work we do here and the team we have. They really are such a skilled bunch of people.
“The women who check the produce can spot a dodgy needle in seconds.”
Dave Gibbs, project manager, is one of the company’s veterans, with 41 years under his belt and experience in every job in the industry. He said many of the machines they use can’t be bought today so they have a special team to keep them going, even designing special tools to keep them running.
He said: “A lot of the work hasn’t really changed in my time here. We still use the same specialist wire and the same machines.
“We are one of the few places in the world to be able to say we still make quality needles and we are very proud of our team.”
Michael Portillo (pictured inset above) and his camera crew filmed at the factory for two days being put to work on a hand grinder under the close eye of operator Shaun Ross.
