RECONVERSION

AFTER the war it became increasingly clear that Britain's future prosperity depended on a high level of industrial production. Overseas trade in particular proved vitally important owing to the necessity of paying for the imports required to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Accordingly, in the post-war years the Company carried out a considerable amount of expansion and reorganization and did much re-equipment, the need for which had been increased both by the strain of exceptionally heavy war production and by the rapid obsolescence resulting from new improvements and discoveries. One problem of this period was the reestablishment of ex-service men and women in their civilian jobs. More intractable was the continued shortage of vital materials, and another factor in production was the five-day week of forty-four working hours, which was started by agreement between the engineering employers and trade unions at the beginning of 1947.

It was during the same year, however, that production began to take an upward course, and the slightly greater tonnage output was all the more satisfactory because of the fuel crisis with which the year began. This had its effect in a power cut that left the Trafford Park works without any external electricity supply from February 10 to February 28. However a 2500-kW turbo-generator set on test was used to give an immediate emergency supply, which was soon supplemented from a second set that was just ready for despatch; these turbines were supplied with steam from the works boilers, several of which had previously been converted from coal to oil burning. Work was rapidly resumed, section by section, and all who could not be employed were paid the guaranteed thirty-four hour week for the whole three weeks of the stoppage.

The upward trend has continued. In 1948 shipments and sales were higher than ever, and the Jubilee year found the Company with a record order book, a strength of 23,000 (only exceeded in war-time), and a reputation as high as at any period in its history.

EXPORT TRADE
In meeting the demand for increased exports M-V has played its full part. The backbone of the business is still steam power station plant, and modern high pressure installations are being put in in many countries. Production of hydroelectric generators has continued to increase, principally for India, Australia, and New Zealand. Other important activities are in switchgear, transformers, and mining equipment: M-V electric winders installed in South Africa amount to nearly three-quarters of the total in that country.