Auto Windscreens’ Chesterfield factory is celebrating 25 years of business, which has seen production grow twenty-fold and staff numbers increase ten-fold.

It now employs 60 people and produces 250,000 windscreens a year for more than 860 vehicles.

Factory development manager Paul Lockwood, who oversaw the building of the factory, said: “When the factory was built no-one had a clue about windscreen production. We had a day’s training in Sweden before we commenced production.

“However, by today’s standards, windscreen production in 1983 was very simplistic. Six people produced 15,000 windscreens a year and every one was cut by hand.”

Earlier this year Auto Windscreens’ factory was commended in the World Class Manufacturing Award category in prestigious Manufacturer Awards.