Shropshire Magazine

Anna Breeze and Charlotte Langley of Newgate Clocks

Neil Thomas visits a world-leading company which truly stands the test of time

Old Father Time has never looked so good. Jim and Chloe Read believe that clocks shouldn’t just tell the correct time but look stylish while doing it. The result is that some of the best-looking timepieces around are designed and made by their company Newgate Clocks.

Chloe and Jim Read.

Newgate specialises in the creation of iconic alarm, travel, mantel and impressively oversized wall clocks. Their designs are heavily influenced by classic, vintage and retro pieces of the past and by adding a touch of modernism, the products are versatile enough to suit both traditional and contemporary-style homes.

This firm is one of Shropshire’s great business success stories. You will find Newgate Clocks in Britain’s most prestigious department stores including Selfridges, The John Lewis Partnership, The Conran Shop, Debenhams, House of Fraser and Heals.

Hundreds of independent boutique home stores enjoy fantastic sales from Newgate. The clocks are also exported to blue-chip department stores in the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Greece.

The company’s fan base includes TV celebrities, supermodels, movie stars, and famous hotels and restaurants. Newgate’s clocks crop up on TV and movie sets.

Jim and Chloe founded the Oswestry company 17 years ago and built it up from scratch to the impressive operation it is today. Its remarkable growth has meant that, although design and distribution is retained in Oswestry, some manufacture has had to be outsourced just to keep up with demand.

“It is amazing the way the company has grown over the past few years,” says marketing executive Charlotte Langley.

This expansion has meant that the firm needed to move to a larger headquarters in Oswestry last year and there is a five-year plan to nearly double the 30-strong workforce.

Managing director Jim has launched a range of products to ensure his firm remains a global market leader.

“We are planning to expand further in the next three to five years so we have a total of 30 designers working here in Oswestry.”

Anna Breeze shows off one of a huge range of clocks made by the company.

The firm has also been awarded a prestigious grant to help its expansion programme. The Opportunity Grant from British Airways will help the firm’s venture into the US market. Representatives from Newgate will have to be in the States for a series of trade shows and the grant will help with the cost of travel.

Jim adds: “It is quite a prestigious grant to receive since we were one of only 100 recipients out of around 4,500 applicants. Apparently we were the second to be chosen.

“It will help very much with our plans for the US. We are already selling in the odd store in America but our plans now involve selling nationally.”

Jim admits he has always had a fascination for clocks and a passion for great design and objects of beauty and quality.

He and Chloe’s life is dominated by design, in their travel and interests, love of London, New York and Hong Kong, in their own home, and in their new headquarters at Glover’s Meadow.

In their desire to be green and recycle, rather than build a new warehouse and offices, the Reads refurbished a large former Laura Ashley factory, and rather than buy new furniture, they rescued 1940s desks and office furniture to create a stylish and unique workplace.

New facilities allow the team of designers and artists, led by Jim, to use state-of-the-art technology to produce some of most unusual and strikingly decorative timepieces in the world.