Family-owned Hartlepool manufacturer JJ Hardy & Sons is celebrating 165 years in business by investing in new CNC turning and additive manufacturing technology.
Hartlepool-based JJ Hardy & Sons was founded in 1856 by John James Hardy before being bought out by Ald. T.H. Pailor, the grandfather of the company’s current owner and managing director, Andrew Pailor.
Originally set up to support local traders and seafarers, the company has since transitioned from local brass founders and finishers to supplying precision machined components to customers across the UK.
“My family have been involved in this business for three generations and have guided it through incredibly dark times,” says Andrew Pailor. “However, even when our backs have been against the wall the most, our determination and grit has helped pull us through and bounce back from every single setback we’ve faced.
“From raising money during the first and second world wars to fund the war efforts, to producing parts for ships and arms, we’ve risen to every challenge thrown at us and as a true UK manufacturer, we’re proud of our heritage and to be still here today, investing in the North East and continuing to grow.”
Following a visit to Japan in the mid 1970s, Andrew’s father, Tom, became one of the first people in the UK to invest in a CNC turning machine.
While orders slowed slightly during the pandemic, Andrew – like his father before him - took the opportunity to plan for the future and begin writing the next chapter in the company’s history.
After tapping into support from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland, the company invested in a Mazak QTE-200 SG CNC turning machine and a Ultimaker S5 3D printer, allowing it to ramp up productivity, slash production costs and diversify its product offering.
Andrew added: “The new machinery we’ve purchased represents a significant investment for the company and will be key to not only sustaining our future for another generation, but for nurturing the next generation of talent that comes through the business as we continue to invest in the region.
“Both the new CNC machine from Mazak and the Ultimaker 3D printer will help us provide an even better service to our clients, running low-cost machines on lights out production and expanding the services we offer. For example, in the few months since we purchased the 3D printer, we have produced pattern making equipment for the casting industry and reverse engineered plastic components for the rail industry, it’s really opened doors for us.”
Surviving the pandemic proved not only a key milestone for the business, but also for the Pailor family. As the company celebrates its 165th anniversary last year, it will also mark 83 years since Andrew’s grandfather led a buy-out of the company and will mean the Pailor family have now owned the company longer than its founding Hardy family.