Retirement Reflections: Will’s 49-year journey at Allan Brothers

When people join Allan Brothers, they tend to stay for a long time!  After 49 years, Will, one of the company’s longest-serving employees, is retiring.

Will joined the company straight out of school in 1976 when he was just 16 years old, continuing his family’s long tradition of working at the company.

“Everyone I knew seemed to have a relative working here, and I was no different. My brother worked in the office, and my uncle was a wagon driver for the firm. Even my mother had been employed in the factory making ammunition boxes during the Second World War. When I joined, the company needed machinists, so that’s what I started out doing,” said Will.

A ‘general joinery’ company

Back then, Allan Brothers was located at its old site close to Tweedmouth Station and, just like today, it was a major employer in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

“In those days, the company did general joinery such as making garden gates, as well as manufacturing windows and doors, and almost everything was put together by hand.

“When the timber arrived at Berwick dock, it was taken to the factory on tractors and trailers and then cut down to size by hand.  The window frames were put together by hand and then given a lick of base coat before being sold as unglazed products.  No such thing as component sizes or factory glazing then!”

Though the work was more labour-intensive, Will has fond memories of his early days working on the factory floor.

“I remember the old factory with its 150ft chimney – a hangover from the days when everything was driven by steam. It was a landmark in the town that the fishermen would use as a guide for navigation.

“As a youngster, I very much enjoyed the camaraderie and learning from the old boys and some of the real characters who had worked at the factory all their lives.” 

When Allan Brothers moved to its current purpose-built factory on Ord Road in 1989, Will initially worked in the main office as an estimator and then as a Project Coordinator, drafting quotes and writing out orders.

Factory changes

Over the last 30 years, changes to the factory and the way windows and doors are manufactured have come thick and fast.

“I remember when the first computers came into the office, and we didn’t have to write everything out by hand anymore, and when the first modern machinery started to arrive on the shop floor in the 80s, making production processes much more efficient.

“These days, with mechanisation, the performance standards of the products are much higher, and our windows are fully factory-finished with energy-efficient glazing and modern paints. So, we can offer customers top-quality finished products in such a wide choice that was unheard of before.”

So, how does Will feel about retirement?  “Oh, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family, but I’ll miss the friendly atmosphere and camaraderie at Allan Brothers – but I’ll no doubt be keeping in touch and hearing all the gossip!”

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