A long-established Burton business celebrated its centenary in 1997 with a new venture. The Wetmore Road firm of WH Mason and Son (Timber Merchants) was established by four partners on November 5, 1897.
In its centenary year, the firm invested heavily in laser cutting machinery and launched a new giftware arm under the Just Wood brand.
Alongside making traditional wooden cask closures, taps and bar pump handles, the firm was now able to offer key rings and coasters.
Speaking in September 1997, company director Mike Cherry said the firm employed 16 people with one of the jobs being a newly created role for the Just Wood side of the firm.
Mr Cherry said that the £65,000 investment in new machinery represented a huge project for the firm and would help the business to expand.
He said: "We certainly hope to expand the business; it's an exciting time for us. It has required a lot of retraining and it has already created one new job. We are producing a unique range of items and there is no comparable competition at this time."
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Mr Cherry's great grandfather, William Mason, was one of the four partners who set up the business in 1897. Originally established as a timber merchants, the firm was used by the trade and public.
It has remained one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of cask and keg closures in the UK with its customers in 1997 including Burton's leading breweries of Marston's, Bass and Carlsberg alongside Greene King and Scottish Courage.
The firm continues to operate from Wetmore Road, with the Just Wood brand also still in use.
