1983
Rise & Fall of the Lancashire Shoe Industry
Rossendale was once the hub of footwear manufacturing in the UK and was home to the birth of the first pair of slippers. The county’s textile industry was at the forefront of innovation; adopting both steam power and the factory-based system of production, and left an enduring legacy still evident today through the many mills dominating the landscape.
In 1877 Lambert Howarth and his wife Betsy set up Lambert Howarth & Sons in Whitewell Bottom and at its peak they produced 10 million pairs of shoes a year, employed 2,500 people and supplied major British retailers such as Marks & Spencers. However, cheap imports from the Far East began to flood the UK which resulted in the decline of the Rossendale shoe industry.
Unfortunateley due to cheaper labour abroad and a lack of new investment in technology, manufacturing companies could not compete with overseas production costs. During this time T.C.Components Ltd manufactured and supplied products for the shoe industry in Lancashire, and since the fall, continued to supply the remaining manufacturers and ventured into orthopaedic footwear and leather goods manufacturing, supplying materials and components nationwide.
1996
New Ownership
In 1996, after many successful years in the shoe industry Trevor Cunliffe (pictured right) the founder of T.C.Components Ltd decided to retire and sell the business to his employee Chris Royle (pictured left), who is still the owner to this day. Chris began working for Trevor in his early twenties after leaving his job at the footwear manufacturing company, Lambert Howarths.
Chris has over 40 years of experience in the footwear industry and has built the business up to what it is today and created a healthy portfolio of customers and strong relationships with suppliers within the industry.
2023
40th Anniversary
2023 marks the 40th year anniversary of T.C.Components Ltd. We are extremely proud of achieving 40 years of business within the UK footwear and leather goods manufacturing markets.
We would like to thank all our customers and partners, as this would not have been possible without the loyalty, support and strong relationships we have built together. We hope that with our experience and credibility we continue to supply and serve our customers to a high standard in the years to come.