IN 1938, a new factory opened in Cwmbran on a large site on Grange Road.
During the Second World War, it was known as a ‘shadow factory’ as no-one knew exactly what was being manufactured there, but in fact it was brakes and other vehicular equipment for cars, farm machinery and trains - as designed by Captain A H Girling.
By the early 1960s the factory was a major employer in the Cwmbran new town – with more than 4,000 employees.
In the 1990s, the factory changed ownership to Rockwell International subsidiary Lucas Varity and was later taken over by the larger USA based company Arvin Meritor.
The factory is still in production today, but with far fewer employees, and is still often referred to locally as ‘Girlings’.
Nostalgia is provided by Torfaen Museum.
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