Richards Hose was first established as a weaving mill in Scotland but was called ‘Richards of Aberdeen’ and was predominantly involved with the production industrial canvas and sails. Founded more than 200 years ago, Richards operated what was to become the oldest iron-frame mill in Scotland and the last remaining textile mill in the ‘Granite City’. At its peak in the early 20th Century, it was the largest employer in Aberdeen employing more than 3,000 people. It became a public limited Company in 1878.
The Company continued to trade for many years until there was a gradual decline in the traditional flax spinning production methods, so the Company embarked upon a programme of development using the more modern synthetic yarns. This enabled them to develop the production of the traditional three-layered type of hose that we are accustomed to seeing being used today.
It was in the 1970s that the Company moved to newer premises in Preston as part of the Wormald Richards International and continued to manufacture lay flat hoses until such time that they decided to sell off their hose production division in the late 80’s.
