Key Points
- Anord Mardix has opened a new manufacturing facility at Kent View on Natland Road in Kendal, marking a new chapter for a site associated with the town’s historic K Shoes manufacturing industry.
- The new facility is being used for DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear production, according to Anord Mardix’s own description of its Kent View operation.
- Anord Mardix says the Kendal facility has been developed to keep pace with growing demand and includes an in-house testing facility.
- Companies House records show Anord Mardix (UK) Limited changed its registered office from Castle Mills, Aynam Road, to Natland Road, Kendal, on 7 April 2026.
- A UK Government transport licensing notice published in January 2026 recorded Kent View, 53 Natland Road, Kendal, LA9 7LR as a new operating centre for Anord Mardix (UK) Limited, replacing the previous Castle Mills operating location for the relevant authorisation.
- The move connects a modern critical-power manufacturing operation with a site that has a significant industrial history: the final K Shoes made in Kendal came from the Natland Road Springer factory on 2 May 2003.
- Anord Mardix is registered in the UK as a private limited company whose principal SIC activity is the manufacture of other electrical equipment.
- The company’s current UK contact address is Kent View, Natland Road, Kendal, LA9 7LR, confirming the site’s continuing role in its UK operations.
- The development is relevant to Construction and Civil Engineering, Power Systems and Maintenance, and Project Management because it involves industrial premises, electrical manufacturing infrastructure and the development of a new operating facility.
Anord Mardix has opened a new manufacturing site in Kendal at the former K Shoes factory location, bringing a modern critical-power manufacturing operation to a site with a long industrial history. The company’s new Kent View facility on Natland Road is now part of its UK manufacturing network, producing DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear and incorporating an in-house testing facility.
What has Anord Mardix opened in Kendal?
Anord Mardix has opened a new manufacturing facility at Kent View on Natland Road in Kendal, Cumbria, according to information published by the company and reported by In-Cumbria.
The site represents a significant change in the industrial use of the former K Shoes location. Rather than footwear production, the premises are now associated with the manufacture of critical-power equipment, including busway and switchgear products used in electrical distribution systems.
Anord Mardix describes Kent View as its new manufacturing facility in Kendal. The company’s location information states that the facility houses extensive DATABAR, IBAR, and switchgear production and has been developed in response to growing demand. It also includes an in-house testing facility.
The company’s current contact information gives its UK address as Kent View, Natland Road, Kendal, LA9 7LR, further confirming that the location has become an established part of its UK operation.
The development also has a clear connection with the changing industrial landscape of Kendal. The Natland Road site was previously associated with K Shoes, one of the town’s most historically important manufacturing businesses.
Why is the former K Shoes site significant to Kendal?
The site carries a long industrial history because of its association with K Shoes, the footwear company that became a major employer in Kendal.
Research by Jonathan de F. Somervell for the Industrial History of Cumbria records that K Shoes grew from the business established by Robert Miller Somervell in Kendal in the 1840s. The company eventually became one of the town’s major employers and developed manufacturing operations at several locations.
The history of the company also shows the scale of its former presence in the town. According to the Industrial History of Cumbria, K Shoes employed a substantial proportion of Kendal’s working population during its heyday.
The company’s manufacturing story eventually came to an end in Kendal. The final K Shoes produced in the town were made at the Natland Road Springer Factory on 2 May 2003, according to the historical account.
Historic England likewise records that the last K Shoes made in Kendal came off the production line at the surviving Natland Road Springer Factory in 2003.
The former K Shoes factory site has subsequently undergone redevelopment and changes in use. A South Lakeland employment land review described the former K Shoes factory area on Natland Road as the location of Riverside Business Park, while other parts of the wider former K Shoes estate were redeveloped for commercial and other uses.
Anord Mardix’s arrival therefore forms part of the site’s continuing transition from its historic footwear-manufacturing role to modern industrial activity.
What will Anord Mardix manufacture at the new facility?
Anord Mardix says Kent View houses production of DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear.
These products form part of the company’s critical-power offering. Anord Mardix operates internationally and specialises in electrical power distribution and protection systems for demanding environments, including data centres and other mission-critical facilities.
The company’s description of Kent View specifically says that the facility has developed to keep up with growing demand and includes an in-house test facility.
The company’s broader manufacturing footprint includes facilities across the UK, Ireland, North America and Europe. Its locations page identifies Kent View alongside manufacturing operations in Blackburn and Walton Summit, as well as facilities outside the UK.
This means the Kendal site is not simply an office relocation. It forms part of Anord Mardix’s wider manufacturing network.
The company’s earlier description of Castle Mills, another Kendal operation, shows that it had already been producing DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear in the town. In a 2021 article, Anord Mardix described Castle Mills as a long-standing manufacturing facility housing extensive DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear production, together with an in-house test facility.
The newer Kent View operation consequently represents an evolution of Anord Mardix’s manufacturing presence in Kendal rather than the company’s first involvement with the town.
What does Companies House show about the Anord Mardix move?
Companies House records provide independent evidence that Anord Mardix’s registered UK address changed during 2026.
The filing history for Anord Mardix (UK) Limited records an address change dated 7 April 2026, moving the registered office from Castle Mills, Aynam Road, Kendal, LA9 7DE, to Anord Mardix (UK) Limited, Natland Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 7LR.
The company’s Companies House profile now lists Natland Road, Kendal, as its registered office. It identifies Anord Mardix (UK) Limited as an active private limited company, incorporated in 1966, with SIC code 27900 — manufacture of other electrical equipment.
The corporate record therefore corresponds with the company’s current description of Kent View as its new Kendal manufacturing facility.
The change also demonstrates that the new site is more than a temporary operating location. Natland Road has become the registered address of the UK company itself.
When was the new Kendal operating centre recorded?
A UK Government publication provides another indication of the transition.
The Department for Transport’s January 2026 applications and decisions notice recorded Anord Mardix (UK) Limited with its existing Castle Mills address and identified a new operating centre at Anord Mardix (UK) Ltd, Kent View, 53 Natland Road, Kendal, LA9 7LR. The notice recorded authorisation for four vehicles and two trailers at the new operating centre.
A similar Government notice published earlier in January also recorded the new Kent View operating centre and the same vehicle and trailer authorisations.
These regulatory records provide a dated public record of the new operating arrangement before the later Companies House registered-office change.
The address has subsequently appeared in other public procurement information. A 2026 Sell2Wales notice identifies Anord Mardix Critical Power Services Limited at Kent View, Natland Road, Kendal, with the company classified as a large supplier.
How does the new site fit into Anord Mardix’s wider manufacturing network?
Anord Mardix describes itself as a manufacturer with a global footprint, operating manufacturing sites across North America, the UK and Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.
Its UK manufacturing network includes facilities at Walton Summit in Preston and Blackburn, while Kendal remains an important location for the company’s busway and critical-power manufacturing.
The company says its Blackburn facility provides a large production space for hyperscale projects, while Walton Summit supports manufacturing activities including sheet-metal transformation, unit frames and SKIDs.
Within this wider network, Kent View has a specific role. Anord Mardix states that the facility contains DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear production and was developed to accommodate increasing demand.
The company also continues to identify another Kendal facility, known as K1, where IBAR production takes place. According to Anord Mardix, K1 is located in the heart of Kendal and its UK team plays a role in the company’s busway power-distribution operations.
The two Kendal references demonstrate that the company’s presence in the town includes more than a single address.
What does the development mean for Kendal’s industrial heritage?
The opening creates a notable contrast between the site’s historical and current manufacturing functions.
K Shoes was associated with footwear production, retail, and employment in Kendal for generations. Its manufacturing history stretched back to the nineteenth century, while its later Natland Road operations remained part of the town’s industrial identity until production ended in 2003.
Anord Mardix’s operation is focused on a very different manufacturing market: electrical equipment and critical-power infrastructure.
The company’s Companies House classification confirms that its UK business operates in the manufacture of other electrical equipment.
The change reflects the wider evolution of industrial premises in the UK, where buildings previously associated with traditional manufacturing can be adapted for newer engineering, electrical, logistics and technology-related uses.
In this case, the former K Shoes location is connected with manufacturing once again, although the products and technologies being produced there are now aimed at the electrical and critical-power market.
Why is critical-power manufacturing important to Anord Mardix?
Anord Mardix’s products are designed for electrical power distribution and protection in environments where reliable power infrastructure is important.
The company says its Kent View facility manufactures DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear, while its wider business provides critical-power solutions for projects including data centres and other technically demanding facilities.
The growing importance of data centres and digital infrastructure has increased demand for reliable electrical distribution systems. Anord Mardix’s manufacturing footprint is therefore structured around equipment used in critical-power applications.
Its Kendal operation is one part of this wider production network.
The company’s own description of Kent View says the facility was developed to keep up with growing demand, indicating that the new site is intended to support increased manufacturing requirements.
What does the new facility mean for Anord Mardix’s presence in Kendal?
The new Kent View facility strengthens the company’s established manufacturing presence in Kendal while providing a new address and expanded production location.
Anord Mardix previously described Castle Mills as one of its long-standing Kendal manufacturing facilities. In 2021, the company said Castle Mills housed DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear production and had an in-house test facility.
The company’s current locations information now describes Kent View as its new manufacturing facility, again highlighting DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear production and an in-house testing facility.
Companies House records show the corresponding movement of the company’s registered office to Natland Road in April 2026.
Taken together, the company information, corporate filings and Government records show a clear progression from Anord Mardix’s established Castle Mills presence towards the new Kent View site.
How does the Anord Mardix development connect with industrial skills?
The move also highlights the changing skills required within manufacturing in Kendal.
The products manufactured by Anord Mardix require engineering, electrical manufacturing, testing, production management and quality-related capabilities. The company’s current locations page describes employees working across its manufacturing operations and specifically identifies roles connected with engineering and production.
Public recruitment information has also listed Anord Mardix roles at 53 Natland Road, Kendal, including test-engineering and electrical and mechanical fitting positions, illustrating the type of technical work associated with the location.
The emergence of a modern manufacturing operation at the former K Shoes site therefore links Kendal’s manufacturing heritage with contemporary engineering skills and electrical technology.
For organisations examining the operational requirements of modern industrial facilities, the development also illustrates the relationship between Power Systems and Maintenance, manufacturing engineering, testing, facilities and project delivery.
What is the wider significance of the former K Shoes site?
The former K Shoes location has experienced several phases of redevelopment since footwear manufacturing ended.
Historical and planning records show that parts of the former factory estate were converted into commercial and industrial uses. A South Lakeland employment land review identified Riverside Business Park on the former K Shoes factory site on Natland Road, with a mixture of industrial and office units.
Other redevelopment of the wider K Shoes estate has included commercial, retail, residential and hotel uses. A later redevelopment of K Village, for example, involved a hotel, flats, office space and retail accommodation.
Against that background, the establishment of Anord Mardix’s Kent View operation represents another stage in the long transformation of the former industrial site.
It also demonstrates how established manufacturing locations can acquire new functions as local economies change and new forms of production emerge.
For professionals involved in industrial development, the transition provides a practical example of how manufacturing premises, electrical infrastructure, testing requirements, and operational planning can intersect. This is particularly relevant to Construction and Civil Engineering and Project Management, where industrial site development requires coordination between buildings, equipment, operations and technical requirements.
What does Anord Mardix’s new Kendal site show about the town’s manufacturing future?
The opening of Kent View gives the former K Shoes site a new manufacturing identity centred on critical-power equipment rather than footwear.
Anord Mardix has confirmed that Kent View is a new Kendal manufacturing facility producing DATABAR, IBAR and switchgear, with an in-house test facility and capacity developed around growing demand.
Public records support the transition. Government transport records identified Kent View as a new operating centre in early 2026, while Companies House recorded the company’s registered-office move to Natland Road in April.
The development is also notable because of the site’s history. The same wider Natland Road industrial area was once part of Kendal’s footwear-manufacturing story, with the last K Shoes produced in Kendal in 2003.
Today, the location is associated with electrical manufacturing and critical-power technology. Anord Mardix’s investment in the site consequently represents a shift from traditional footwear production to modern industrial engineering, while retaining manufacturing activity on a site with deep roots in Kendal’s economic history.
As businesses modernise industrial facilities and demand for electrical infrastructure evolves, developments such as the Anord Mardix site also underline the relevance of professional knowledge in Power Systems and Maintenance, Construction and Civil Engineering, Project Management and Quality and Productivity. These areas cover practical considerations ranging from technical systems and facility development to project delivery and manufacturing performance.