Coalbrookdale foundry closure: Jobs offered to Men of Iron by Walsall firm
The Coalbrookdale Men of Iron are being given the chance to join the workforce at another foundry.
But now bosses at Walsall-based H Goodwin have stepped in to offer some of the men the chance to join its workforce.
Managing director Melvin Barnett said: “We were very sorry to hear about the closure of the historic Coalbrookdale Foundry.
“As a similar foundry in Walsall, we’d like to speak to the very experienced Men of Iron about bringing them on to our staff.
“We are looking for personnel including foundry managers, process managers, metallurgists, quality managers and more.
“If anybody from the Aga factory is interested, please get in touch.”
The company has asked that anybody interested contact them via 01922 633511 or at sarah.charlton@hgoodwin.com
The foundry was started in the 18th century by Abraham Darby I, who developed new processes for smelting iron. This was a major step forward in the production of iron as a raw material for the Industrial Revolution.
Over the years the company stayed on the cutting edge of iron founding and played a key role in the building of the Iron Bridge and countless other landmarks around the world. They also worked on railway lines, garden furniture, gates and thousands of other items.
Aga Rangemaster announced that it would be closing the Coalbrookdale Foundry in May this year, saying that it was no longer “economically viable”.
A crowd of former staff members and residents gathered outside the factory to say goodbye to staff members when it closed for business on November 23.
Many of the last Iron Men had turned up for work that morning and were told they were no longer needed and were sent home.
Together they had clocked up more than 900 years of service.
But that didn’t stop dozens of people gathering outside to say goodbye to the iconic workplace.
Aga Rangemaster was sold to Illinois-based food services giant Middleby Corporation in 2015, in a deal worth about £129 million. The company’s factory at Ketley will be kept open, with iron for the Aga ovens assembled there being sourced from other foundries across the UK and the EU which are not part of the Aga Rangemaster group
