The Tanner family first came to Saddleworth from Ringwood, Hampshire in the early 1800s to work as mill managers for one of the first textile mills in Saddleworth, Whitehead & Sons of Friezland.

Two generations later in 1911 the Tanner Brothers purchased Waterside Mills, Greenfield (formally a cotton mule spinning mill owned by the Buckley family) to manufacture heavy cotton fabrics and felts for the military and the paper industry.

The brothers had to raise £4,500 to purchase Waterside Mills’ site which included 150,000 sqft, mule spinning frames, 24 back to back cottages and two dray horses to man the fire engine!

One of the founding brothers of the company, Colonel Sir Gilbert Tanner, was decorated with the DSO medal during the First World War.

At its height, the company employed approximately 850 people across four factories in the region; Waterside Mills in Greenfield, Warth Mill in Diggle, specialising in tyre fabrics for the fast growing motor industry; Monarch Mill in Royton for the spinning of course count cottons for weaving conveyor and canvas products; and Ellenroad ring spinning in Newhey producing finer cotton counts for towelling etc.

They continued to supply major tyre companies, including Goodyear, Firestone and Pirelli. It was only into the late 1990s that the company finally ceased manufacture.

A decision was made to revitalise the company into a multi-occupancy business and now houses over 100 individual units for local businesses, as well as providing managed warehousing facilities and self storage.

After 100 years Tanner Brothers Limited is still owned and run by the family.

Please contact us on hello@tannerbusinesscentre.co.uk if you would like to find out more about the history of this well known local company.

John Tanner - Managing Director