Derek Hill contributes:
Following the closure of
the Douglas Pump factory, we moved into
the ground floor of an office block called ‘Telford House’ mainly
occupied by civil servants. We had a reception area, an office each for
Lew Morris, me and our secretary. Lew dealt with estimating and sales of
spares etc. and was my number two, dealing with administration when I
was away on a sales/design trip. We had a drawing office large enough
for up to six draughtsmen. There was also a separate enclosed area
suitable for testing customer products on Shredders or Flaking rolls.
Pascall Jeavons was appointed at Peterborough to promote sales
throughout the world.
1980/81
We supplied a ‘Granola’
plant to Telford Foods. Manufacture was subcontracted to a local sheet
metal company which produced high standard fabrications. We also
supplied a granola plant and a corn flake plant to a French consortium
of Farmers.
1985 approximately
Ray Blakely, who was the
food technologist at Nabisco, left them to set up his own cereal plant
in Manchester and we had an agreement with him that we could use his
plant to demonstrate our equipment to prospective customers from
overseas. Telford Foods also purchased a shredding line for producing a
shredded product from extruded pellets.
Douglas Process
Engineering continued until 1986. I was spending a lot of time giving
presentations to prospective customers and trade associations both in
this country and abroad. It was decided that the administration and
drawing office be transferred to Peterborough and I should continue
working from home.
Pascal, now working from Werner Lehara in
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, arranged appointments for me to visit the
following breakfast cereal companies and give a presentation of our
equipment. The companies were:
Kelloggs,
General Foods,
Nabisco,
General Mills,
Weetabix (USA)
Ralston Purina
I was
very well received and was taken into Kelloggs’ laboratory, which was
indeed an honour.
We received orders from all of them initially
for laboratory test units which led to plant orders. Kelloggs ordered a
special laboratory cooker with sampling facility whilst the cooker was
at full pressure.
Another breakthrough was the supply and
installation of an extruder fed cornflake plant for a French
co-operative of farmers. General Mills ordered a large shredding line
and cookers, and Ralston Purina ordered similar equipment.
Following an Interpack Exhibition, we received an enquiry for a corn
flake plant from Calbee Japan. This was installed during 1989.
Commissioning trials stated early in December and the customer requested
that I was present for these. I was set to retire on 31st December 1989
and I requested that my wife, Betty, travelled with me. The trials went
well generally, except for the flaking rolls, which had to be replaced.
Before we returned home, I received a fax asking that I call at Dallas
on the way home to give a presentation to another prospective customer.
Coming home via the USA meant that this trip had taken us around the
world.
From research conducted by the Baker Perkins
Historical society
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