Standard fireworks

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Standard Fireworks has a strong and long standing reputation within the fireworks industry. By far the best known fireworks company in the UK, Standard have a rich vain of history that stems back to 1891 and have developed dramatically since family man James Greenhalgh founded the Huddersfield based company.

Standard expanded swiftly during the early years and in 1910 the company had grown so dramatically that relocation had become a pressing issue. The company moved to their now current site in Crosland Hill and it was at this site that during the First and Second World Wars Standard turned their attention to making munitions rather than fireworks to help in the war effort.

The post-war years saw Standard continue to grow. In 1959 the company floated on the Stock Market and a period of domination in the Fireworks industry began, with many retailers having to wait several years for an account with the company. Further growth was experienced in 1988 when Standard secured the ownership of Brocks Fireworks Ltd. This led to all firework activity being transferred to the Huddersfield site making Standard one of the largest employers in the Yorkshire region with over 500 people working for the company.

In 1998 Standard were purchased by Chinese based Black Cat Fireworks. This takeover meant that Black Cat switched the manufacture of fireworks to exclusively China, but the company kept offices in Huddersfield. The site is now the UK headquarters for Black Cat and acts as the Sales, Marketing and Distribution centre, still employing people from the Yorkshire region as well as a large number of recent migrants from Eastern Europe.

In 2002 they provided the fireworks that lit up the sky for the prestigious Queens Jubilee event at Buckingham Palace. Standard and Black Cat have also produced pyrotechnic displays, including the sponsorship of the Lord Mayor’s show [1] which takes place in London every year. In addition, the company also continues to acknowledge the local community by providing a free firework display for the people of Huddersfield on an annual basis.