Fowlers of Bristol (Engineers) Ltd was originally part of a cycle and motor cycle business started in 1918 by Frank Fowler. To survive during the second world war the company was forced to diversify into engineering which from 1950-2015 had been located at a small premises in Montpelier Bristol. In 1961 the business became a private limited company, seperate from the motorcycle business, although still owned by members of the Fowler family.

From the 1960’s through to the early 90’s the major customers came from the region’s Aerospace Industry and included the Dowty Engineering Group and Rolls Royce, there were also one or two significant customers from the commercial sector including Rank Xerox.

From the early/mid 90’s to present day the company has maintained a significant presence in the Aerospace industry but also has attracted major customers from defence sector and these two sectors now account for over 90% of company turnover, the remainder coming from commercial, automotive and industrial sector, including a proprietary product range (metal hanging systems for PVC strip curtains and doors). The company is therefore not over reliant on one particular customer or one particular industry, which is seen as an important safety net.

Until 2015, Fowlers has been located at a site in Montpelier, Bristol.

It was like a little Mary Poppins building really… Very small from first sight but when you entered the buildings you began to see that actually, it was a fairly big building. The factory was made up of several different departments and although not laid out to its full potential, it served it’s purpose and got the business to where it is today.

Fowlers now have relocated to a much lighter and brighter environment. The move took place in May 2015 to a site in Avonmouth. The building we moved in to was at first an empty shell. This enabled us to create a layout and plan which suited our workflow and processes which in turn has improved production, quality and cost.

The Directors and staff at Fowlers have worked very hard to make this move work, it was a massive task to undertake after being at our old premises for over 50 years, sheer team work and dedication got us through the daunting  task and now Fowlers are able to concentrate fully serving their customers needs and expectations.

Fowlers have worked hard to expand into other sectors during Covid. Our key sector we wanted to target was the Nuclear and Renewables markets. These are ever growing and the need for these sources of energy is greater. We are proud to have some new customers on board and are well on our way to obtaining our F4N status (Fit for Nuclear).