Five Lane Ends

• Jowett Cars Ltd had a car factory in Bradford Road, Idle until 1954.  Jowett then sold the factory to International Harvester who made tractors at the site until the early 1980s. The factory was demolished after International Harvester closed it, and the site is now occupied by Enterprise 5, a retail complex largely consisting of independent units, McDonald's and a Morrisons supermarket.
• Jowett Cars Ltd :

  • low weight vehicle at a low price and with low running costs.​
  • Jowett Javelin 1947–53. The car was good for 80 mph and had excellent handling.​
  • Closed in ​
  • Ford bought Briggs the body manufacturing plant.​
  • Jowett could not get aluminium bodies so closed
• International Harvester:

  • 1954 - bought factory and inherited a skilled workforce.​
  • 1982 - 500 people from Bradford told they will lose their jobs at International Harvester, Idle.​
  • They made small tractors
• International Harvester had their headquarters in Chicago​ and got into financial trouble 1981 and merged its tractor factories in USA​. They made the decision to close its Bradford International Harvester in 1982 and reorganised itself as Navistar International in 1986.
• Morrison's would have paid £20 a week, predominately women employed with a male manager and part time job.​ Harvester was paying £90 a week full time and predominately male. 
• Morrisons:

  • Opened in 1987
  • Employs 472, including 7 who have worked there since opening
  • Shared car park for 832
  • 13 retail units and Morrisons