Thread Mills, The History of Paisley's Thread Mills, Post- World War II

Following the war, the J. & P. Coats business empire would continue to be characterised by technical innovation, company restructuring, and expansion overseas. It would also witness the decline and slow death of thread manufacture in Paisley. The first significant event was a restructuring of production in Paisley itself. After a review of processes, it was decided that all manufacturing would be carried out on the Ferguslie site, while Anchor would concentrate solely on the finishing side of thread production. Thread production had largely been related to the spinning, twisting, gassing, mercerising, and dyeing of cotton, and the company had continually researched these techniques in order to improve production and lower costs. One of the new branches of production was the development of synthetic fibres, and this would be extensively researched in Paisley.