Henry Winning & Co., established in 1880, is a historic Glasgow-based manufacturer specialising in twines, ropes, and cords. The company played a significant role in Scotland's industrial growth during the 19th and 20th centuries. Initially focusing on producing natural fiber twines, the company adapted to changing demands, incorporating synthetic materials as technology advanced. Even today, the company is renowned for its high-quality products, used in various industries including fishing, agriculture, and shipping.
Throughout its history, Henry Winning & Co. has remained committed to innovation and quality, allowing it to thrive for over a century. Today, the legacy of Henry Winning & Co. lives on as a symbol of Glasgow’s rich industrial heritage. Their products were not just tools but a testament to the skilled craftsmanship and industrial prowess of their era.
During the late 19th century Glasgow’s Eastend was at the heart of the Scottish City’s industrialisation. As the city experienced rapid growth during the Industrial Revolution, overcrowding became rife in poorer areas, which led to ill health and a lower life expectancy. High Street, Gallowgate, and Saltmarket were at one time home to around 20,000 people. These families were crammed into run-down housing and squalid slums.
With so many people living in such a concentrated area, small businesses began to pop up overnight, as families tried everything they could to make a living during such difficult times. It was at this time when Henry Winning set up shop manufacturing and selling various types of twine and rope across the city.
Henry and his brother, William (1817), had already been running a business called H & Wm Winning, Mineral Borers and Pit Sinkers from 1 Winning Row. Winning’s new venture, the twine factory, ended up being hugely successful, and after his death in March 1894, Henry Winning & Company was transferred to Mr. James Hamilton, the late Manager of the firm.
Today, Henry Winning & Co. is one of the largest twine manufacturers in Europe, having received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise and several other accolades. We’re still based in Glasgow East End and we have continued to manufacture the same exceptional twine that was being produced in the 1880s. We’re incredibly proud of our history and everything we, as a company, have achieved in the last 140 years.
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