News / Member news
Global engineering company celebrates 50th anniversary
A South West-based global engineering technologies business is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Renishaw is celebrating the milestone by holding a year of events – including open days at its sites, family days for employees and a charity initiative that will see it donate £150,000 to 50 not-for profit organisations across the world.
The Gloucestershire-based firm was born out of the aerospace industry. Its founder, Sir David McMurtry, invented the “touch trigger probe” which helped Rolls-Royce solve a problem it faced manufacturing Concorde’s engines.
Rolls-Royce took out a patent on McMurtry’s original design, which it then leased to McMurtry when he formed Renishaw on April 4, 1973.
Renishaw’s first commercial premises in 1976 – it has since grown into a company valued at £3bn – photo: Renishaw
Over the past 50 years, Renishaw’s products have revolutionised key aspects of component manufacturing and scientific research. It is involved with a range of industries – including the manufacture of aircraft, cars, smartphones, electric vehicle batteries and solar panels, to brain surgery and dentistry.
Will Lee, Renishaw’s chief executive, said: “This is a year to reflect on the tremendous achievements of our co-founders and employees past and present, who have done so much to advance precision manufacturing globally, and to look forward with confidence to future decades of innovation and growth.”
Renishaw is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s FTSE 250 index, with a current valuation around £3bn. It employs 5,200 employees in 36 countries, including 3,400 staff at its sites in the UK, primarily in Gloucestershire and South Wales.
Main photo: Renishaw
Read next:
- Two Bristol businesswomen named among UK’s top female-led firms
- Environmental consultancy to host webinar promoting good business ethics
- Jobs lost as manufacturing firm enters liquidation
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
