About

Ormiston Wire Limited was founded in 1793 by James Ormiston, an enterprising young Scotsman. Six generations later, under the leadership of descendent Mark Ormiston, we are still an independent and family-run business.

We began in the City of London, making spring-wire for corsets and wigs. This was in the days before rubber. Today we have manufacturing facilities in Isleworth, west London and Redditch in the Midlands.

We pride ourselves in being able to manufacture almost any type of wire for almost any type of application. Our manufacturing processes can accommodate either ferrous or non-ferrous wire or strands, to any size or length. They include facilities for rolling, winding, rewinding, spooling, braiding, bunching, stranding and plastic coating, according to specification.

The diversity of end uses for our products ranges from delicate surgical sutures, to special effects applications for the film industry, to polypropylene- covered and Kevlar-cored strands for low-voltage lighting, to the high-specification demands of the nuclear industry.


History

Over 200 years of heritage, continuity and diversification.

While many companies in today's wire industry can trace their origins back to family-founded businesses, with most that link has long been lost. But not so with Ormiston Wire, which still operates as an independent, family-owned and run business.

It was over 200 hundred years ago, when George III was on the throne and Britain was at war with a revolutionary France, that James Ormiston set up his own business.

James was born in 1769. He lived most of his young life in the West Country, particularly Bristol. The first record of his business activity was in a local trade directory, where he was listed as a partner and accountant with Heineken and Ormiston, a firm of sugar refiners.

His first steps into the wire business began when he became the agent for the already well established Bristol Brass and Copper Company. His success in this role resulted in him being approached by BBCC to take charge of their branch office in London.

So in 1803 James left Bristol and set up in rented premises at 22 Bread Street, off Cheapside, in the City of London. It was here that he diversified and prospered, eventually founding the specialist company that is Ormiston Wire today.




Staff profiles


Mark Ormiston
Managing Director


Mark is the sixth generation Ormiston to lead this family business which was founded in 1793. While he has overall responsibility for the direction and development of the company, his areas of specialist expertise include product design, quality control and providing technical help.

But he also takes a keen interest in environmental and energy efficiency issues. Under his guidance Ormiston was the first UK firm to install a wind turbine and solar panels, at its Isleworth factory, for which it received the Queen's Award for Sustainable Development in 2002.

Mark's environmental interests carry through into his personal life too. He doesn't own a car, preferring to cycle, which he did for charity in 2008, cycling from Lands End to John o' Groats in 9 days, 1 hour and 22 minutes. He also takes a keen interest in the history and conservation of the River Thames and he took part in the Queen's Jubilee Pageant in 2012.

Mark says: 'Leading a small manufacturing company can be challenging, but with the excellent staff we have, and in particular their experience and enthusiasm, it makes my job much easier'.



Pauline Ormiston
Director/Company Secretary



Pauline's involvement with the business goes back more than 24 years. Today, she is responsible for all financial aspects and any related issues.

As she recalls: 'My association with Ormiston began when I was 12, when my mother was secretary to the then Chairman, John Ormiston. When I was 19, I took a temporary job with the company as an assistant in the accounts department. This was a far cry from the computerised and technologically-advanced department it is today!'.

Outside the office Pauline has a deep and lasting love of all things Italian. She says: 'I love the language, the country, the culture and especially the food! I have been on a couple of Italian cookery courses in Tuscany and enjoy cooking Italian and especially eating out in good Italian restaurants'.

Pauline is mum to Quality Manager, Karley. She has recently moved to a small village in Bedfordshire where she is having fun discovering local country walks and pubs.


Chitra Puri
General Manager



Chitra has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of Ormiston, as well as dealing with customers who visit the factory. She joined the company 27 years ago as an assistant to the then purchasing and production managers. When they retired she took over their roles, eventually progressing to become General Manager.

Today, Chitra's main focus is sales, purchasing and costing, whether sourcing materials from stock, or manufacturing to meet particular specifications. She works closely with the factory foreman on all stock and production issues and with Karley, the Quality Manager, to ensure overall quality control, particularly where bought-in raw materials are concerned.

Chitra says: 'I have raised three children while working at Ormiston. Now I enjoy eating out and trying different types of cuisine. I even enjoy an occasional flutter on the horses!'.


Karley Ormiston
Quality Manager


Karley has been with the company for eight years and is the first point of contact for potential and existing customers, whether by phone or email. Her primary role is to ensure customer satisfaction at all times by making sure their particular needs are met accurately and promptly.

As she says: 'I suppose my specialist expertise is seeing to it that everything that needs to be done gets done. In addition to dealing with any quality issues, this can include processing orders, handling enquiries, invoicing, recruitment, and issuing Certificates of Conformity'.

When away from work, Karley likes to spend time with her two god-daughters. She has also done voluntary work in South Africa and would like to go on another such adventure again soon. She enjoys music, movies, dance and has taken Flamenco lessons. She enjoys baking and likes to experiment on her colleagues, which has resulted both in triumphs and disasters!

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