Gunn & Moore Makes Major Investment In UK Bat-Making

In the current economic environment of doom and gloom, UK cricket manufacturer Gunn & Moore is pleased to announce the completion of a major investment in excess of £500,000 in its bat-making process at its factory in Nottingham following a 4-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) sponsored by the DTi.

GM entered into this arrangement to look specifically at process, technology and manufacturing improvements into its cricket bat manufacture undertaken in Nottingham since 1885.

Cutting each GM cleft – the very heart of the new process.

	Stuart Broad picks up his bat for the West Indies England tour from GM managing director Peter Wright.

The project highlighted improvements that could be made into the whole process of bat manufacturing from sourcing and selection of willow trees, through to use by players from the grass roots to the test arena, as follows:

•    improving the storage of both willow and cane to ensure optimum moisture content before machining
•    improve the performance of each blade by changes to the pressing process and
•    improve the weight distribution and therefore pick-up by the use of a 5 axis CNC machine which combined with state of the art CAM/CAD software would give significant design options and improved feel.

This investment has made a quantum leap in the manufacturing consistency and level of performance of cricket bats, which will benefit cricketers of all levels to maximise their skills and enable cricket retailers to stock and sell these bats with increased confidence. It puts Gunn & Moore in a unique position in the world of bat-making.

Gunn & Moore managing director Peter Wright says:

“Although Gunn & Moore could, like its major competitors, have moved production to India or Pakistan, the 4 years of research pointed to a more long lasting and cost effective way of sourcing and converting English willow into cricket bats.

“By using a perfect blend of tradition and technology, the company has been able to develop even further the art of bat-making developed in Nottingham by a long line of Gunn & Moore master craftsmen for over 120 years.”

All photos reproduced by kind permission of Sam Bowles/Portrait Collective.