A HEREFORD manufacturer is celebrating its 50th birthday.

Deyn Plastics was set up on October 30, 1973 by Bob Burns.

It started in Gloucestershire before moving to its current site in Rotherwas four years later. 

Mr Burns was the original creator of the Core Plugs that the firm produce and specialise in, with the Negri Bossi Injection Moulding Machines used to make them and suspension plates.

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The managing director, Jonathan Farndon, meanwhile, started working for Deyn in March 1980 and brought 50 per cent ownership of the company in October 1987 from Mr Burns, who is his stepfather. That made Mr Farndon joint owner, along with Bill Rickers. 

He then took complete ownership in April 1998, with his wife, Isobel, becoming company secretary the following month. 

Mr Farndon semi-retired in July 2022, handing over the day-to-day running of the business to two of his children. Greg Farndon, who has been with the company since October 2006, is operations director, while Beth Farndon-Price, who started in August 2012, is finance director.

Hereford Times: Mike Jones has worked at Deyn Plastics for 30 yearsMike Jones has worked at Deyn Plastics for 30 years (Image: Rob Davies)

They are now joint shareholders, along with their brother, Ross Farndon.

"We have eight employees, including my husband, Matt, who does our maintenance and mould fitting, and family friend Sammie Canning, who runs health and safety," said Mrs Farndon-Price.

"We pride ourselves on low employee turnover, with our longest serving members of the team, Mike James, being with us for 35 years and Andy Potts for 25.

"As a company, we are proud to say we use recycled materials and have done so since we started in 1973. This includes grinding all our waste plastics and reusing them, so we create no plastic waste."