HADFIELDS, LIMITED originated in Hadfields' Steel Foundry Company, founded by the late Mr. Robert Hadfield in 1872. This private concern was registered in 1888 as Hadfields' Steel Foundry Company, Ltd. In 1913 its title was changed to Hadfields', Ltd., and the share capital was raised to £2,500,000 in March 192o.
Before the World War the company employed some 5,000 to 6,000 workpeople, during the war about 15,000, and after the war from 4,00o to 6,000. The Sheffield works occupy an area of 219ac., and their equipment includes 211m. of railways, 300 cranes, 1,200 machine tools, 4o presses ranging up to 2,000 tons capacity, electrically driven rolling mills (one of ii,600 max. h.p.) for dealing with alloy steels, including manganese and other spe cial steels; also open-hearth, electric and other furnaces capable of producing about i 5o,000 tons of steel per annum. The floor area of the works is 51 acres. Hadfields introduced the 51-hour week in 1891; in 1894 there was a further reduction to 48 hours per week. In both instances, the reduction of hours was effected without any decrease of wages. Other welfare work includes the provision of canteens, the support of ambulance work, the equip ment of a sports ground, and the encouragement of social func tions amongst the workpeople. (L. C. M.)