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Original Text (Annotation: EPW016657 / 669941)
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HOFFMANS BALL BEARING FACTORY- THIS IS THE UK'S FIRST BALL BEARING FACTORY.ESTABLISHED HERE IN 1898 BY COUSINS GEOFFREY AND CHARLES BARRETT AND BANKROLLED BY AN AMERICAN BALL BEARING MACHINE MANUFACTURER 'ERNST GUSTAV HOFFMAN'. THE FIRM LATER BECAME 'RANSOMME HOFFMAN AND POLLARD' IN 1969. THE FACTORY ONCE EMPLOYED 7,500 WORKERS AND WAS WOUND DOWN DURING THE 1980'S AND FINALLY CLOSED FOR GOOD ON THE 23RD DEC 1989. THE RHP BRAND AND ASSETS WERE ABSORBED INTO THE JAPANESE NSK LTD BEARING COMPANY IN 1990, AND THE 'RHP' NAME FINALLY DISAPPEARED IN 2001. (from wikipedia) '