Cllr Charlotte Leach was recently invited to visit Hartman Technology Limited (which trades as Ilford Photo) and which is based in the Mobberley Ward which Charlotte represents.

For over 137 years, Ilford Photo has operated from their manufacturing headquarters in Cheshire and their unique photographic products are shipped around the globe supplying beginners, enthusiasts, students and professional photographers as well as leading labs, classrooms and darkrooms.

Cllr Leach  learned that the company on her doorstep, started from humble beginnings in 1879, when Alfred Hugh Harman began making Gelatine Dry Plates in the basement of his house in Ilford, UK.Since then, the ILFORD name has remained one of the oldest and most established in the photographic industry.

The Ilford Team commented:

“We really enjoyed giving Councillor Leach a tour of our site on Friday. We took her into the heart of M14 - our coating plant to see how our film and paper is made and talked about future opportunities to work together in the local community.”

Cllr Leach dressed appropriately for the visit, commented that she “thoroughly enjoyed what was a very interesting visit”, through this high tech facility, recognising that it offers important employment opportunities and contributes significantly to the local economy.