History of Ronson on the Isle of Wight

From shavers to lighters
When the Government cancelled a Saunders-Roe aircraft project in the late 1950s, many Islanders lost their jobs, and grants were offered to bring new firms to the Island. Ronson, the American lighter company, was one.

Production began on 20 February 1961 in former Saunders-Roe buildings at Forest Road, Newport (known then as Forest Side). The factory first made shavers, hairdryers and shoe polishers, then switched to lighters from 1966.

Who worked there?
The factory opened with 35 workers and had 430 by 1979; nearly 600 people worked there over the years. Most production-line workers were women, many straight from school at 16.

Men mostly worked in the tool room, die-casting, maintenance and the stores. People with disabilities worked there too, and coaches brought workers from across the Island.

What was the work like?
Workers built lighters such as the Comet on production lines, each doing one job before the conveyor belt carried the lighter on. Lighters were filled with gas, leak-tested in a water tank, set by “flame setters”, polished and inspected.

Much of the work was piecework, with targets set by “time and motion” men. It was fast and repetitive, but former workers remember the friendship most.

Why did it close?
In July 1979 most workers joined a one-day strike over pay. In January 1981 Ronson, whose British business was in financial trouble, announced the closure. Workers were made redundant in batches, and the factory closed in July 1981 with more than 320 jobs lost.

A new owner reopened it that November with about 80 workers. In December 1982 the Island’s MP, Stephen Ross, told Parliament its productivity was “the highest anywhere”. The factory closed for good in June 1984, when lighter making moved to North Shields.

Timeline
From our research, we have been able to piece together the following historical timeline for the Ronson Factory in Newport.

Late 1950s:

The Government cancels a combined jet-and-rocket interceptor aircraft being built by Saunders-Roe, and many Islanders lose their jobs. The Government offers grants to bring new firms to the Island.

An agent for Ronson submits a planning application for new factory buildings in Cowes. This plan is abandoned.

20 Feb 1961:Ronson starts production in former Saunders-Roe buildings at Forest Road, Newport. Its 35 workers, mostly women, make electric shavers, hairdryers and shoe polishers.
1965:About 300 people work at the factory. A new £75,000 production line makes parts for shavers sold around the world.
1966:Ronson announces that Newport will switch to making lighters. An advert asks for “women and girls” for assembly work.
1967:Shaver-making moves to a new Ronson factory in the North-East of England, and Newport turns to lighters.
1974:An advert says “600 Islanders can’t be wrong”, and offers women and men different pay.
1977:The factory has just made lighters for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
Jul 1979:430 people work at the factory. 320 of them stay away for a one-day strike over pay.
Jan 1981:Ronson says the factory will close, with the loss of 327 jobs. Workers leave in batches from March.
Jul 1981:The factory closes. The last workers leave in early August. More than 320 jobs have gone.
Nov 1981:A new owner reopens the factory on a much smaller scale. By spring 1982 about 80 people work there.
Dec 1982:In Parliament, the Island’s MP calls the loss of the Ronson factory “the greatest tragedy” facing the Island.
Apr 1983:Another new owner takes over and promises to keep at least 75 jobs.
Jun 1984:The factory closes for good, with 39 jobs lost. Lighter-making moves to North Shields in the North-East. The buildings are later demolished.
2026:Flame Keepers records former workers’ memories.

Dates come from historic Isle of Wight County Press reports, Parliament and the workers’ own memories. Dates remembered many years later sometimes differ from records made at the time.