BREAKTHROUGH

Aberdeen is on the brink of breaking into the modern Plastics field and a much greater way than in the past. This has been made possible by the change in control of the city’s well-known Combworks in Hutcheon Street where Daniel Montgomery and Son Ltd., a Glasgow firm with a large plastics division, have taken over.

Although we heard a lot last year of “take-over” bids for this old company, Messrs Montgomery 10 to think of the change as a natural development resulting in a “very friendly” agreement reached between the two boards.

In control of the Aberdeen Combworks now is Mr Hugh Smith, general manager of the company’s plastic division in Glasgow. He is also resident director in Aberdeen.

Said Mr Smith : “We intend to add to the range of plastic goods which are already being produced at Aberdeen. we find we have a very solid foundation, but we feel that fresh lines are needed to advance into this highly competitive market.”

EXPANSION

He also revealed that the Hutcheon Street factory is already being tooled up to manufacture several lines they hope to introduce on the market later this year.

“We hope by combining our interests we will be able to make certain economies in terms of buying and so on and we feel that the facilities, experience and skill in Aberdeen are in many ways complementary to our own plastics interests in Glasgow,” he added.

Almost half the output at Aberdeen up to now has been combs – hence the name of the firm and the rest has been in kitchen ware or fancy goods.

Mr Smith now hopes to increase and expand this range and supply components for refrigerator manufacturers, among others.

“I should think in Scotland, as the science-based Industries increase the demand for industrial marketing will also increase.” he said. “This is where we hope to come in by manufacturing in Aberdeen plastic parts for use in these modern Industries.”

LABOUR DEMAND

The friendly take-over of the Combworks should result in more jobs for Aberdeen workers, though, according to Mr Smith, this won’t happen right away.

It takes time to tool up for new products, more time to start making the new goods and even more to sell them once they are made.

“But once we get firmly established then, taking a long-term view, the results should create a demand for more labour,” he declared.

This may seems strange to workers at the Combworks, who are presently on a three-day week. But this has been caused by over-stocking during the period of the negotiations and the fact that this is a period of low sales for the type of goods manufactured up to now.

TEMPORARY

The labour position at presence could have been even worse for the Aberdeen workers but for the fact that the new company diverted a fair bit of work from their Glasgow factory to create work at Hutcheon Street.

Mr Smith was definite that the three-day working week is purely a temporary measure and will last only a few weeks. Once the factory is tooled up to cope with the new lines then the workers will be back on full-time once again with a bright future in a modern market.

Source : The Evening Express, 7th February 1964