 Brunner and Mond decided to build their factory at Winnington , near Northwich , Cheshire on land owned by Lord Stanley of Alderley . This was sited on the River Weaver which allowed for the transport of the raw materials and finished products to and from the works . Lord Stanley insisted on selling the house , Winnington Hall , as well as the surrounding land , as part of the deal . The purchase was completed in 1873 , and for a time both Mond and Brunner lived separately in the wings of the hall . The early years were extremely difficult , initially in getting the plant to work efficiently and then in selling the soda ash . It was not until 1878 that success was achieved when they outsold their competitors and were producing their products more cheaply . In 1881 , the partnership was converted into a limited company with capital assets listed at £ 600 @,@ 000 ( £ 5 @.@ 5 million in 2016 ) and the founders became managing directors for life . In 1891 , Brunner became the chairman and retained that position until April 1918 , 14 months before his death . However , by then his duties were being increasingly performed by his son , Roscoe . 
