Avon Protection celebrates 140 years of manufacturing in Melksham

Melksham-based company Avon Protection marked its 140th anniversary on Friday 25th July with a family day celebration at its site in Hampton Park, Semington Road.

Avon Protection is a major local employer, with 280 people working on the site in skilled roles ranging from manufacturing to engineering.

The company’s history in Melksham dates back to its foundation as a producer of rubber systems. In the 1940s, its manufacturing capabilities were harnessed for the World War II civil industries to build protective gas masks for British forces. Millions of masks were produced in Melksham by local workers for the war effort, a capability that continues to this day.

Today, Avon Protection is the UK’s only provider of sovereign CBRN respiratory solutions, supplying high-tech equipment to the British Forces and its international partners. In total, over 4 million operators worldwide are protected by Avon Protection equipment every day.

At the 140th anniversary event earlier this month, the company celebrated the people behind the business. Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Natasha Goddard-Wellon, said, “Our company strives to protect those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others, and none of it would be possible without the huge pride and commitment our team puts into every respirator they produce.

“Avon Protection’s ties to the Melksham area are extremely deep and we thank all our employees, past and present, for being the people behind the brand the world knows and trusts to protect its military and law enforcement personnel.”