Rushden Echo, 14th March 1969, transcribed by Kay Collins
Fine Record of Marriott Men Praised
On occasions Marriott men – men who work for Robert Marriott Ltd., the Rushden building concern – have exceeded the national average productivity on a building site by 100 per cent. In effect, a Marriott man achieves twice as much as the national average.
This was told to a large number of visitors who attended the opening of a new plant and vehicle depot at the firm’s headquarters off Washbrook Road, Rushden, on Friday, by the managing director, Mr. E. A. Brook.
The actual official opening of the new depot was performed by Mr. Harry Howarth, Labour MP for the Wellingborough Division.
Thanking him, Mr. Brook said the statistics implicated not that Marriott men worked twice as hard but that they work twice as effectively.
But the new depot thought to be one of the most modern and best equipped of its type in the country, is only phase one in a three stage major development plan Marriotts will undertake.
Phase two will involve the complete building of a new major office block. Mr. Brook said the three storey block would set out to demonstrate by example Marriotts particular skills. It will not be an industrial block, bricks and timber will be used.
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The row of three stone cottages was given a
new brick front when they were used as offices.
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Marriott's Offices - the old pulled down in 1970s
after the new block (right) was built
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Phase three will be the building of a completely new joinery department on a two-acre site on the Sanders Lodge industrial estate.
Mr. Brook said this would eventually treble the joinery department output and increase the labour strength from 20 to 30 people. Unfortunately, due to proposed road improvement schemes, it is not known when phases two and three can be given permission to go ahead.
The overall cost will amount to between £300,000 and £400,000.
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A fire at Bedford Way Motors in the Old Theatre
with the Marriott Offices in 1977, including phase two
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Example
Mr. Howarth was introduced by Colonel J. R. Marriott, chairman of the company, who stressed the importance the firm placed on its employees. Without their workers’ efforts they would not have had the capital resources or demand for the new depot. Mr. Howarth said the event was a typical example of the way industry in general – the construction industry in particular – was laying the foundation for future expansion.
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