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By the turn of the century, 1902 to be exact, Ashtons was riding on the crest of the now maturing industrial boom and Thomas Ashton accumulated sufficient capital to rebuild most of his premises in Norfolk Street.
The company was fast becoming a household name in Sheffield and the redevelopment in Norfolk Street was the result of expanding local industry and the subsequent need for more stocks to keep it running smoothly.
The Sidney Street works was also keeping pace with the growing industry in Sheffield at the time and was manufacturing mill bearings and driving belts for the re-equipment of mills.
While Ashtons did not hold a monopoly on supplying local industry, they were completely on their own until others gradually began catching on to the lucrative approach to business.
The Sidney Street works took on more importance in 1903, when an engineering department was added for the manufacture of shafting, bearings, tube fittings, plumber blocks and precision matching done to the customer’s specifications.
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About the same time, the leather department which was producing flat leather belting for driving and conveyor purposes, began making hydraulic leathers for pumps and syringes.
It led to the making of every conceivable type of moulded leather, such as pneumatic leathers for foot pumps and tyre gauges, along with hydraulic and mechanical leathers of many varied shapes and sizes.
With the advent of electricity generation, the company increased its scope still further. They had their own generating plant and were appointed distributors for Frigidaire when domestic refrigeration caught on.
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