Walker Steel factory under construction, School Lane, Guide 1969 (Picture: Newsquest)
This photo from January 1969 shows the ongoing construction work which would help a Blackburn family firm achieve worldwide dominance.
The large warehousing complex you can see taking shape was off School Lane at Guide and would become the UK’s largest steel service centre operated by Walker Steel.
By 1975, the complex would occupy around one million square feet on the site. By the late 1980s, Walker Steel had some 3,400 employees in 60 locations across the UK and Ireland and sales of around £623 million.
Originally started by Charles Walker, it was his sons Jack and Fred who built up the business to become a market leader.
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