AN engineering company has closed its doors after 45 years.

Timothy Ormerod Ltd, a precision engineering company based in Wormelow, has ceased trading with the loss of eight jobs.

The company found prestigious clients and gained a nationwide reputation after being set up in 1964, before the credit crunch took its toll.

“In its heyday in the mid-1970s, we employed 82 people but since the 1990s a lot of our customers have been closing and cutting back,” said Timothy Ormerod, the company’s co-founder.

“It was just a slow decline until the middle of last year when the recession really bit. It got to the point where we just could not carry on.”

The firm was set up in 1964 by Mr Ormerod’s father George and operated in Much Dewchurch for a year. It moved to Bryngwyn Manor where it counted Lucas Aerospace, Norton Villiers Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce as customers.

When Mr Ormerod retired six years ago, the family tradition continued with son Matthew becoming managing director. The company’s demise will see the end of a long relationship with the company’s loyal workforce.

“Two of them have been with us for more than 40 years and the others were long-standing members of staff of between 30 and 40 years,” said Mr Ormerod.

“It’s the first time we have made redundancies in the history of the company. We have had other recessions but had a good customer base and knew they would come back. But this time we knew there was no way.”

The company’s work included making gauges, jigs and fixtures and included prototype work.