Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton built its fortune on what other factories needed: locks, keys, and chains. The city's metalworking tradition dates to medieval times, but industrialization transformed it into the heart of the 'Black Country'—named for the coal dust and iron smoke that darkened buildings and lungs alike.

The lock trade made Wolverhampton essential: factories here produced the locks that secured doors across the British Empire. Chubb Locks, founded in 1818, pioneered the detector lock that remains the basis of modern security. The city also manufactured japanned ware—lacquered metal trays and decorative objects—for export to the colonies. By the 20th century, steel production and automotive components dominated.

The car industry reshaped Wolverhampton's economy. Guy Motors built trucks here; Goodyear operated a massive tire plant; Turner Manufacturing made components. The city fed parts to the West Midlands automotive cluster centered on Birmingham and Coventry. When British car manufacturing collapsed in the 1980s, Wolverhampton lost its largest customers.

Today the city reinvents itself around advanced manufacturing. The Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor targets clean-tech, sustainable construction, and green engineering. A £15 million regional fund supports pivots to electric vehicles, battery technology, and aerospace components. The University of Wolverhampton trains manufacturing engineers for industries that didn't exist when the lock factories thrived.

By 2026, Wolverhampton will test whether the precision metalworking skills that made locks can now make the components for electric vehicles—whether the Black Country can become the Green Corridor.