Ferodo Dynamics Factory, Caernarfon

The Ferodo factory in Caernarfon, North Wales, was opened in 1962 as part of Ferodo’s expansion of brake and friction-material manufacturing in the UK. Officially opened by Princess Margaret, the plant represented a major industrial investment in an area previously dominated by slate quarrying and agriculture. At its peak, the factory employed over 1,000 workers, becoming one of the most important employers in the region and providing stable, well-paid jobs for several decades.

Throughout the 1960s to 1980s, the factory produced brake pads and linings for the automotive industry and played a central role in the local economy. However, by the 1990s, global competition and restructuring in manufacturing led to workforce reductions. In 1997, the site was sold and renamed Friction Dynamics Ltd, marking a turning point in its history.

Between 2001 and 2003, the factory became nationally significant due to a prolonged industrial dispute. Following disagreements over changes to working conditions, 86 workers were dismissed, leading to a picket that lasted more than two and a half years, one of the longest disputes in modern British industrial history. Although an employment tribunal later ruled the dismissals unfair, the company entered administration in 2003, meaning workers received no compensation.

A successor company, Dynamex Friction, briefly operated the site, but the factory finally closed around 2008. Since then, the large site has remained largely derelict, despite multiple redevelopment proposals.