Testrade celebrates 40th anniversary in style
09/09/2011
Testrade Lt
d celebrated 40 years of incorporation on 14 May 2011. Among the guests at the Hilton Hotel in Watford were staff, current and past, customers, suppliers, BINDT and some relatives and friends of Director Gail Long. The event was a huge success and everyone celebrated in style, with a little help from the live ABBA look-a-like band and their 70s music.Testrade Ltd first traded on 1 April 1971 and was incorporated on 17 May of that year. Gail and Pat Long started work in their small spare room selling X-ray sets, film, processing units (which Gail’s brother-in-law manufactured in the garage) and a complete range of X-ray accessories. Testrade’s fourth order ever was to supply ARAMCO, Holland, with 100 rolls of Agfa D7 rollpac to go out to Saudi Arabia and, following this, the company went from strength to strength. By 1975, it became possible
to take a lease on a 5000 ft2 factory/warehouse near Heathrow. This was only achieved by both Pat and Gail working 15-hour days and with great thanks to the burgeoning oil & gas industry in the seventies.By 1990, Testrade had 22 employees and by that time was selling a full range of all NDT equipment. During the slowdown in the nineties, it was decided to move to a smaller unit in Watford, from where Testrade continues to trade with great success.
Sadly, in 2009, Pat passed away. He would have been proud and would have thoroughly enjoyed the celebration.
