Who worked at surmanco

[RichardCarne;;]

Yes I worked in the offices. I worked in Wages with Peter and Blossom (coloured lass). I then worked in Time and Motion Study Dept with Chris who was my boss. I worked there from around 1967 to 1970. I recall Pat who worked in the works office always wore curlers in her hair and glasses on. Pam who worked in the offices down in the works and Ian Gallagher. The company was owned by Irma Sugden who was a Jewish lady and her hubby was around but was just a toff with not much to offer in the way of contribution to the company. Irma used to drive a white sports Merc around two seater Merc. Nice lady. She always put on a CHRISTMAS DO for all the factory at The Grand Hotel with free meal, free cigars and cigarettes and it was some Christmas do. She paid for the entire dinner drinks and all.  Good company. There was a General Manager RAY who was not that good at his job and he was banging the Human Resources Manager and both were married so they were both more concerned about their affair than work. I think he was called Ray Marriott. First day I worked there I wore a nice suit was in the wages office and had to take some paper work down to the factory office and one of the girls upstairs landing came out of that area and gave me a wolf whistle (blond lass with her hair up) and she shouted "Come here let me suck you up and blow you out in bubbles" LOL I was 16 yrs old did not know what to do with myself LOL. Smashing people worked at the factory maybe they were the original rough diamonds but god such nice folks.  Those women who worked on the buffing wheels and grinding wheels , those were dangerous jobs. If a grinding wheel shattered it could kill the women working on them. They had a pickling dept and when I helped take the wage packets around on a Friday I hated going in there the acid got right up your nose and throat, The men and women who worked in there never wore masks. Then you had massive drop hammers that pressed the blanks for scissors out of long strands of what looked like wire but was heavy metal.  The company was taken over by a Canadian company Acme Ruler Company Ltd. They sent men over to train the staff to work to their new systems and I recall spending hours at their evening sessions. I think the main guy was in his 50's and had a mushtache and maybe called Gordon?  I think after that Irma stayed on for a few years but it was never the same and I left to go and work for Marples Tools Limited down the road. Then Marples got took over by Hampton Ridgeways after a few years and I left there to work for W.A.Tyzacks down Hereford Street as I was a Qualified Cost and Works Accountant.  All these little misters have gone now and its so sad because they provided so many jobs in Sheffield and whilst many were BLUE COLLAR jobs they also paid good money and happy times. Surmanco had a Twilight shift they were that busy. If you worked there you may recall in the 1960's ---- MORECAMBE & WISE came to visit our factory!

On 05/06/2011 at 12:19, lagerlil said:

Anyone on the forum who worked at surmanco on cavendish street? i worked there from 1975 , it was a good firm but now gone.

I worked there maybe 1966-1970 when Irma Sugden owned the company. I worked in wages then in Costing/Time and Motion study dept

Edited October 10, 2021 by RichardCarne;;
Try to add picture