Greeted By The Past – Then Back To The Future

In 2024 we began to decommission the old Ball Mills, or Pebble Mills as they used to be known because the grinding media, way back then, was pebbles. These mills were the backbone of the industry and perhaps the first steps of automation of the basics of paint making. We also began to de-commission the Attritor Mills, stalwarts of small batch production and whilst we still run some of these mills, we are less dependent on them.

Thomas Howse was established in 1903, and our sister company T&R Williamson was set up in 1775 so between us we have a lot of years under our belts in the paint industry. Sitting in the office reception is a small Pebble Mill and a small Attritor Mill a testament to paint making and between them many thousands of litres of paint over many year not to mention the souls that worked them.

At B65 you are greeted by The Past and then you are Back To The Future, the latest production machinery, the new custodians of paint manufacturing worked by the next generation of paint makers.