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In 1909 Fred Hawkes joined Ernest Pack, an engineer from Higham Ferrers. Trading as Central Machinery Co. they were agents for Hornsby engines and provided a maintenance service for their customers. In 1914 Fred resigned from the company and established the Fred Hawkes company supplying shoe machinery. The following year, with Walter Tarry, Samuel Horace Wright and Sidney Fox, he founded the Tecnic Shoe Co. and was their first chairman. Mr Wright resigned in 1916 and Mr Fox was killed in action in 1917. Fred resigned from Tecnic in 1919, leaving Walter Tarry in sole charge.
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Fred Hawkes
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The business, now called F & W V Hawkes, had patented the boot tips that Fred had invented and also dealt in grindery, but now started making machinery for the shoe trade. New premises were built in Portland Road, next to their old works, and alongside the new machines, they traded in refurbished machines branded as “Nu Value”. A new method was devised to make the framework and add the principal engineered parts as “units” that could be bolted on to the frame. This enabled the whole section to be removed and replaced and so an exchange part could be supplied. The returned part was again refurbished and ready for re-supply. This meant nothing was wasted, only the broken element was replaced in the main unit, and the machines were more easily repaired. Wherever possible a unit was used for several different types of machine, so keeping the variety to a minimum. This standardisation gradually enabled the customer to keep spare parts in hand to keep their own productions running almost without loss of production time. Some of the refurbished machines were adapted to use the new units, thus minimising the range of spares.
Large export contracts went to America & South Africa together with other smaller ones to India, Scandinavia, Australia, Canada and the West Indies. In 1928 Fred took his nephew Sidney on as manager of the works. A new name, Fred Hawkes (NV Engineers) Ltd was registered in April 1936, and the company continued to proper during the Second World War and made tips and heels for army boots. Pressure of work saw them use sub-contractors including William Lockie, tinsmith, of 6 Fitzwilliam Street.
Fred Hawkes died suddenly on 14th December 1943 at Rushden Railway Station aged 65. His son Wilfred (a school master) joined the company and set up another company, Fred Hawkes (Refrigeration) Ltd in 1946. Wilfred took his brother-in-law, G. P. Robinson, who had trained with Prestcold Birmingham, as a partner and managing director. At first they traded from a property in Coffee Tavern Lane but expansion forced a move, and in 1959 this new company moved to premises in Park Road, formerly the Echo & Argus office and works (previously the Northants Printing & Publishing Co. and East Midland Printing Co.), as they had recently moved into the Coxton Shoe Co. factory in Rectory Road. The new building was now called “Polar Works”, and their first agency was granted by Kelvinator, followed later by more well-known brands.
In 1965 Fred Hawkes (NV Engineering) Ltd and Fred Hawkes Refrigeration amalgamated with Cox & Wright of Wellingborough Road. Just two years later the new company was taken over by Evode, and Sidney Hawkes retired.
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