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For more than 100 years Tetley have been producing the nations tea and today manufacture tea which is exported all over the world. The main UK manufacturing site, based in Eaglescliffe, Co Durham, employs around 600 personnel.

In early 2004 Tetley reviewed their existing Time & Attendance recording and Access Control systems and decided to procure a new system that would handle both these functions. Paul Digweed, Tetley's IT/Business Consultant, was in charge of specifying Tetley’s requirements and reviewing the various systems available in the market. Initially Tetley selected six potential suppliers and this was reduced to three, then two and then they finally selected Tensor as the supplier of their new Time & Attendance and Access Control system.

Asked why he chose Tensor, Paul said "We found Tensor to be very professional. Their product range is functionally rich and particularly matched our specific requirements".

Tetley have ordered from Tensor a Winta Enterprise system comprising Time and Attendance recording, Access Control and Fire Roll Call. This will be installed during the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005.

"During the selection process Tensor proved themselves to be significantly more pro-active in meeting our needs than other suppliers" added Paul, concluding he said "We look forward to establishing a long term partnership with Tensor."

History of Tetley Tea

At the beginning of the 19th Century, nearly 150 years after Thomas Garway first brought tea to Britain, brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley began to "peddle" salt from the back of a pack horse on the Yorkshire Moors. In time they added tea to their supplies and with the proceeds of these ventures, plus profits from investment in the railways, the brothers established themselves as tea merchants.

In 1856, having earlier established Tetley Brothers in Huddersfield, the brothers moved to 25 Cullum Street, London, yards from Mincing Lane, then the centre of the world tea trade. But the brothers disagreed and they parted. Joseph went into partnership with Joseph Ackland, and "Joseph Tetley & Company, Wholesale Tea Dealers" was formed.

Tea Council records show that by 1920, the still relatively innovative tea bag had received trade acceptance but it was not until 1939 that Joseph Tetley & Company's British representative, Tetley Ironside Tetley-Jones first went to America and brought back the idea of the tea bag.

Allowing for this, it was still not until 1953, nearly 33 years after introduction onto the American market, that Tetley introduced the tea bag to the UK. The Stock Exchange Gazette (Joseph Tetley & Company went public in 1951) testifies to this in June 1954 - quote "Joseph Tetley carries on the business of tea and coffee blenders and merchants. It is particularly well known for the introduction of tea packed in small bags for immediate use in the pot". This small, perforated innovation could probably be identified as Tetley's most successful and clear competitive edge.

The Tetley Group is now owned by Tata Tea Ltd, one of the world's largest integrated tea companies.

The Tetley Group Limited
Durham Lane Industrial Estate
Eaglescliffe
Stockton on Tees
Cleveland
Tel 016 4270 5000
Website http://www.tetley.co.uk/UK/