Grenson

English shoe company. Established in 1866 by William Green who, after much experience in the shoe sector, decided to start his own company at the age of 31. He managed every aspect of production and the commercial side of the business. In 1874 William built the first factory in Rushed, where he lived with his family, and called it Greensyard. In 1885 his son, Charles, joined him in the management of the firm. At that time another plant was built that replaced the previous factory, and indeed increased its output in the following years. This new plant remained the company’s main headquarters. William died in 1901 and Charles took over the direction of Green & Sons. In 1913 a new plant was opened in Irchester and Charles invented the Grenson brand, one of the first to be legally registered in London. In that period Grenson started to export up to half of its production to Commonwealth countries. In 1929 Charles’ son, Sidney, became President of Grenson Shoes Ltd. In 1972 he was taken over by Heyden Green, whose contribution was significant in furthering exports to Italy and Japan. Today these exports still represent 50% of the company’s turnover. In 1982 Terry Purlow joined the company, becoming its President in 1990. Grenson Shoes was and continues to be the pioneer of English shoe production.