Feeling the Chemistry: Charles Dreyfus and The Clayton Aniline Company, Manchester.
Charles Dreyfus
Did you know that the fabric in the interior of your car was probably manufactured by The Clayton Aniline Company in Manchester?
In 1869, the entrepreneur industrialist Charles Dreyfus left his home town of France to pursue a life of Chemistry in Manchester. Seven years later, he founded The Clayton Aniline Company which, even a century and a half after its foundation, is one of the chief chemical firms in the United Kingdom.
Located on the Ashton Canal, Clayton Aniline manufactures chemical products, such as dyes, inks, lubricants and plastic products, which it exports to countries all over the world.
The site consists of over 55 acres and is the biggest manufacturing company in Manchester. Clayton Aniline employs over 450 people and produces over 350 000 tonnes of fabric annually.
Submitted by: Shelley Deasey, SETPOINT Greater Manchester, 15 May 2006
