Who worked at surmanco

[lagerlil 11]

Anyone on the forum who worked at surmanco on cavendish street? i worked there from 1975 , it was a good firm but now gone.

[cal1943 10]

Hi

I worked there in 1959, A bit before your time. My dad ( Arnold Crookes ) worked there in the polishing shop, until the 70's I worked on a little press; stamping the name on nailfiles. I think the piecework rate was 7d a gross.

I remember getting quite good wages for that time.

Cal

[lagerlil 11]

I remember arnold he was a lovely man.

[cal1943 10]

Hi,

Yes, my dad was a true gentleman...sadly he passed away in 2003 at the age of 84, independent to the end. He had worked at Surmanco for a long time. Can you remember Cath who worked with him?

Cal

[bigsteve 10]

My sister worked there from the 70s through the 80s, she was the receptionist 'Magda'

I used to visit her occasionaly and remember talking to Mr Holiday, and Mr Berry.

[2ndhandrose 10]

I remember Magda....I worked in the pay office. Surmanco was my first job after school I worked there January1978 to January 1979. It was part of my job to work out the piece work and time sheets and then put wages in the pay envelopes also to clean out the vending machine on a Friday!!!! Everyone in the office Paul, Susan and Magda looked after me as I was the 'new' girl plus it meant that they were able to pass on the rubbish jobs to me...the jobs that they didn't like doing. If I had stayed then I suppose I would have passed them on too......

[grand 10]

i worked at surmanco and remember arnold on the polisher in the bottom corner sad to hear he passed away rip

[susanaudrey 10]

I worked at Surmanco as secretary to Mr. Holliday 1969-1970

[syksy 10]

I worked at surmanco from the 80s for 27 years. It moved to capel street on hillsboro and finally shut down 2 years ago last december.

[T.T 0]

Hi Shazza , I worked with you ☺

[RichardCarne;; 0]

Yes I worked in the offices. I worked in Wages with Peter and Blossom (coloured lass). I then worked in Time and Motion Study Dept with Chris who was my boss. I worked there from around 1967 to 1970. I recall Pat who worked in the works office always wore curlers in her hair and glasses on. Pam who worked in the offices down in the works and Ian Gallagher. The company was owned by Irma Sugden who was a Jewish lady and her hubby was around but was just a toff with not much to offer in the way of contribution to the company. Irma used to drive a white sports Merc around two seater Merc. Nice lady. She always put on a CHRISTMAS DO for all the factory at The Grand Hotel with free meal, free cigars and cigarettes and it was some Christmas do. She paid for the entire dinner drinks and all.  Good company. There was a General Manager RAY who was not that good at his job and he was banging the Human Resources Manager and both were married so they were both more concerned about their affair than work. I think he was called Ray Marriott. First day I worked there I wore a nice suit was in the wages office and had to take some paper work down to the factory office and one of the girls upstairs landing came out of that area and gave me a wolf whistle (blond lass with her hair up) and she shouted "Come here let me suck you up and blow you out in bubbles" LOL I was 16 yrs old did not know what to do with myself LOL. Smashing people worked at the factory maybe they were the original rough diamonds but god such nice folks.  Those women who worked on the buffing wheels and grinding wheels , those were dangerous jobs. If a grinding wheel shattered it could kill the women working on them. They had a pickling dept and when I helped take the wage packets around on a Friday I hated going in there the acid got right up your nose and throat, The men and women who worked in there never wore masks. Then you had massive drop hammers that pressed the blanks for scissors out of long strands of what looked like wire but was heavy metal.  The company was taken over by a Canadian company Acme Ruler Company Ltd. They sent men over to train the staff to work to their new systems and I recall spending hours at their evening sessions. I think the main guy was in his 50's and had a mushtache and maybe called Gordon?  I think after that Irma stayed on for a few years but it was never the same and I left to go and work for Marples Tools Limited down the road. Then Marples got took over by Hampton Ridgeways after a few years and I left there to work for W.A.Tyzacks down Hereford Street as I was a Qualified Cost and Works Accountant.  All these little misters have gone now and its so sad because they provided so many jobs in Sheffield and whilst many were BLUE COLLAR jobs they also paid good money and happy times. Surmanco had a Twilight shift they were that busy. If you worked there you may recall in the 1960's ---- MORECAMBE & WISE came to visit our factory!

On 05/06/2011 at 12:19, lagerlil said:

Anyone on the forum who worked at surmanco on cavendish street? i worked there from 1975 , it was a good firm but now gone.

I worked there maybe 1966-1970 when Irma Sugden owned the company. I worked in wages then in Costing/Time and Motion study dept

Edited October 10, 2021 by RichardCarne;;
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