30 Years at Old West Gun Works

2024 marks 30 years for Gripple at our iconic headquarters, The Old West Gun Works in Sheffield.

Home to our wire rope and sling manufacturing, as well as central corporate functions including Finance, IT and People & Culture, the building dates back more than 170 years, when it was originally opened as a gun factory.

The building was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in December 1994 following an extensive refurbishment. He commented that it was “one of the finest refurbishments of a listed building that I have ever seen”, something echoed by our Founder and Chairman Hugh Facey OBE, he said:

“When I first walked into The Old West Gun Works, I knew we’d found a home for Gripple. The building is spectacular and truly encapsulates the manufacturing spirit that has existed in Sheffield for centuries.”

In 1994, The Old West Gun Works was home to just 17 permanent staff, only one fully automated machine and two hand-operated machines. Today, we have almost 550 permanent staff and over 140 machines across six sites in Sheffield and South Yorkshire – a testament to our unique business model and pursuit of sustainable growth through innovation.