Edward Ormerod & Co, founded in 1867, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stephenson Engineering, and specialises in the design and manufacture of mine cage suspension equipment and associated components, including Ormerod Safety Detaching Hooks.

Harry Stephenson & Sons Ltd was founded in 1908, supplying collieries with wire ropes, timber chocks and coal cutters, plus various associated components.

Renamed as Arthur Stephenson Engineers in 1958 – the company started to focus on engineering, and for the next 30 years produced machined fabrications for the mining, valve, boilermaker and construction industries.

 When the market shifted to subsea oil and gas, Stephenson Engineering shifted with it, to serve key participants in a rapidly expanding sector.

Moving to our current location at Atherton, Manchester in 1995 gave Stephenson Engineering the opportunity to build new workshops and move into the CNC age.

Over the subsequent years, we have invested heavily in our plant, machinery and people to give us a World-class manufacturing facility.

Operating from a modern, purpose-built, seven-acre site situated outside Manchester, Stephenson Engineering employs over 70 people with a diverse range of skills, qualifications and experience.

We are one of the largest capacity sub-contract machining facilities in the UK, equipped for advanced, heavy engineering.

Gibfield was one of the major coal mines of Atherton, Lancashire, and ultimately one of the town's longest-lasting deep pits. Its history stretches from the early 19th century through to the final years of deep coal mining in Atherton.

Gibfield was situated on the north-eastern side of Atherton, alongside the Bolton & Leigh Railway, close to what became Bag Lane.

The first shaft was sunk in 1829 by John Fletcher. It was about 300 feet deep and reached the Trencherbone coal seam, locally known as the Five-Foot Mine.

There were eventually three shafts at the site. A third was sunk in the early 20th century, while the original Gibfield shaft eventually served principally for ventilation.

By this point Gibfield was a substantial industrial complex rather than simply a pit: it had railway sidings, winding gear, screens, workshops and other infrastructure associated with a large Victorian colliery. At its peak, Gibfield was employing more than a thousand people.

After more than 130 years of mining, Gibfield finally closed in 1963.