General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Metal Box was a cracking firm to work for until 1978 when the the American companies of American Can, National Can, Continental Can and the Canadian company of Reeds decided that they did not want to renew the fifty year option agreements which resulted in the demise of Metal Box. Fifty year old agreements where Metal Box had over 90% of the UK canning trade with an agreement that they would not move into North America if the North American companies would not move into the UK.

What was left of Metal Box as a result of National Can (Nacanco as it was known in our country) moving into the UK and their building of canning factories at Milton Keynes and Skelmersdale, resulted in the demise of a great company and later what was what was left of the company was taken over by Crown Cork who at the time was one of the smaller American canning companies

The three factories at Westhoughton are now a large housing estate and what was previously a great pension scheme, has after a couple of transfers has now ended up in the hands of another Insurance company called Pension Insurance Corporation and no yearly increases since the demise of Metal Box,