The well-known Mirrlees site in Hazel Grove continued trading under a variety of names between 1908 and 2000 when it became part of MAN Diesel & Turbo Ltd.
Over the years engines manufactured in Hazel Grove have quite literally been exported across the globe, many still providing reliable service today, often more than 50 years since their initial installation.
At the height of engine production in the 1950s, the site had expanded to 480,000 sq. ft. (44,440 sq. m.) and provided employment for more than 1,900 people, six times the size and staff numbers since its beginnings in 1908.
Production ceased in Hazel Grove in 2006 as the Company became more product-support focused, servicing these ‘Heritage’ engines. As the Original Equipment Manufacturers, MAN’s engineers – trading under the service brand label of PrimeServ – know these engines better than anyone else and are able to provide genuine parts, field service, technical support, overhauls and training.
In spring 2009, and now trading under the name MAN Diesel & Turbo UK Ltd following an internal merger, work began on a brand-new multi-million pound UK Headquarters at its Hazel Grove site. This new facility (at the rear of the old Mirrlees buildings on its seven acre plot) consists of two purpose-designed buildings, incorporating over 20,000 sq. ft. (1,850 sq. m) of office accommodation together with a 90,000 sq. ft. (8,360 sq. m.) warehouse and training Academy. The work carried out in this Academy will ensure the future of MAN’s engines for many years to come.
In the summer of 2012, a souvenir brochure was produced by the Company offering a brief history of the site. Copies of this brochure are available free of charge for collection from the gatehouse on Bramhall Moor Lane.
With a long standing heritage in Stockport, MAN Diesel & Turbo UK Ltd have received both the prestigious Silver Star Award (in 2011) and Gold Star Award (in 2012) from Stockport Council in recognition of their training programmes. They have worked closely with Aquinas College and Stockport College where a custom built Engineering Room was opened for use by students.
A truly global company, MAN’s UK Headquarters are based in Hazel Grove.
