Manufacturer cuts ribbon on new rail overhaul facility

Tidyco, which supplies hose assemblies to the rail industry, has officially opened its new rail overhaul facility.

Former Transport Secretary Lord Patrick McLoughlin was guest of honour at ribbon cutting ceremony, which took place at the recently acquired unit off Pentagon Island.

The new facility has been created in a building which adjoins Tidyco’s existing base.

Production director Phil Mason, who has overseen the work to get the unit up to standard, said: “It wasn’t a case of just replacing fixtures and fittings, the entire building needed to be stripped out and refitted.

“This was to not only future-proofing for the projected growth of the business as a whole, but also to make sure it was suitable for rail overhaul employees to carry out the work in a comfortable and suitable environment.”

Mr Mason, along with the help of Tidyco engineers, found an unusual way of cutting the ribbon, which involved a pair of scissors attached to a train nose cone device that, when activated, moved forward and sliced the ribbon in two.

Lord McLoughlin said: “It was a pleasure to join Tidyco for the official opening of its new maintenance facility in Derby.

“Tidyco is a great example of a UK SME quietly going about its business supporting the UK railway.

“The new facilities provide excellent scope to build on its established brand and the enthusiasm for what it is doing was plain to see.”