In May 1973 Laing announced a £3.6 million contract to build a new tablet factory covering a five acre plot at Boots' site in Beeston. The factory was built in 1974/75, during which time the company worked through the three-day week and a shortage of steel - the original timeframe was therefore extended by six months. When the project was completed in 1975, it was published as being worth £4 million. The building had a "highly sophisticated air-conditioning plant" with 40 separate air conditioning units. Over 300 types of tablets would be produced at the factory; the interior was designed to meet the new cleanliness and contamination standards of the pharmaceutical industry. Steel beams carried the weight of the suspended service floor, which contained electrical controls and elevated walkways.
This image was catalogued as part of the Breaking New Ground Project in partnership with the John Laing Charitable Trust in 2019-20.
This is part of the Series: JLP01/09 John Laing Photographic Collection Black and White Negatives 1974-1994; within the Collection: JLP01 John Laing Photographic Collection
© Historic England Archive. John Laing Photographic Collection
Late 20th Century Factory, People At Work, Science And Technology
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