Sowerby Bridge firm celebrates 40 years in business

Founder Roger Bancroft left his Halifax family business Bancroft Pipeline, based on Pellon Lane, back in 1982 to set up on his own. It was a huge risk, as Roger had a young family to support and had just bought a derelict school which needed to be renovated.

Moving away from plumbing and pipelines, Roger saw the emergence of flow measurement in industrial applications and formed Flowquip, which is based on Canal Road in Sowerby Bridge, to be an independent specialist putting small metering and control systems together for local process companies involved in textile, dyeing, food and chemical manufacturing, which were widespread throughout Yorkshire at that time.

Roger’s daughter Lucy said: “They were renting a small office on Clover Hill Road which was a tiny, converted hairdressers salon and delivering systems in a little Fiat Panda.”

Sadly, Roger passed away in 2013, but four decades in business and still in family ownership, the Flowquip management team have over 100 years collective metering experience and continue to flourish.

On the secret to the company’s success, director Rob Bloomfield said: “Roger was always customer driven and full of enthusiasm, a big character, and when we lost him in 2013 it was a huge blow for all of us because we have always been one big family.

"We have all stepped up and are hugely focused on building on his success to do him proud and hopefully we are.”