OUR HERITAGE

1970

Where It All Began

Brian Chester dedicated virtually his entire working life to strain measurement and load measurement. His career began at Welwyn Strain Measurements in Basingstoke, a name closely associated with the development of strain measurement technology and whose heritage continues today through Micro-Measurements, part of Vishay Precision Group. He later moved to HBM, now Hottinger Brüel & Kjær, further building the specialist knowledge and experience that would eventually underpin PCM. Yet his passion extended well beyond the technology itself. Brian was deeply involved in the engineering community surrounding strain measurement and was a loyal member of the British Society for Strain Measurement from its early years, regularly attending conferences, technical events and annual dinners alongside some of the leading engineers and researchers in experimental mechanics.

One photograph from a BSSM conference dinner in Edinburgh during the 1970s captures Brian alongside his long-standing friend Ted Procter, who he had invited as his guest. Years later, that friendship would become a business partnership. Ted was approaching retirement from the Central Electricity Generating Board when Brian proposed establishing a specialist company focused on strain measurement and load cell engineering. In 1983, Procter & Chester was born, combining decades of practical experience, industry relationships and specialist technical knowledge.

1983

From Theatre Street To Kenilworth

PCM was founded in 1983 from modest premises in Theatre Street, Warwick. The company initially occupied the top floor of the building, but as demand increased it progressively expanded into additional floors to create more space for production, strain gauging, wiring and calibration. By 1992, the business had outgrown the limitations of the site and moved into its own premises in Kenilworth, where PCM remains today. The new unit was effectively a blank canvas, allowing the space to be divided into dedicated bonding, wiring, calibration and office areas. Over the decades since, the same building has been continually developed as new equipment, processes and technical capabilities have been introduced.

1983

43 Years Later, Still Accurate

Some of the clearest evidence of PCM’s heritage comes from products that return to us decades after they were first manufactured. One recent example was a 400 kN fatigue-rated shear web load cell manufactured in 1983, which still achieved non-linearity of 0.032% and repeatability of 0.037% 43 years down the line in 2026.

1987

The Second Generation

Gordon Chester joined PCM in 1987 at just 16 years old, straight from school. Traditional academic education had never particularly suited him, and he learnt far more effectively through practical, hands-on work. He began as a Production Technician, gaining first-hand experience of strain gauging, load cell manufacture, wiring and assembly before progressing to Production Manager and later moving into sales and purchasing. By the age of just 22, Gordon had become Managing Director. His route into leadership gave him a detailed understanding of the business from the production floor upwards, combining practical engineering knowledge with the commercial experience needed to lead and grow a specialist manufacturing company.

When Brian died unexpectedly from cancer in 1997, Gordon carried his father’s legacy forward, leading PCM through its next chapter of growth and development.

1995

31 Years Later, Still Accurate

A 5 tonne S-Type, built by Gordon Chester in 1995 at around 25 years old, returned for UKAS accredited calibration in 2026 and achieved non-linearity of 0.042% and reproducibility of 0.024%, proof that sound design and disciplined manufacture can deliver accurate, repeatable measurements for decades.

1999

One Company, One Identity

During PCM’s earlier years, the engineering and manufacturing operation worked alongside sister company Chase Measurements, which handled much of the commercial side of the business. In 1999, Gordon simplified the structure by retiring the Chase Measurements name and bringing the complete operation under the Procter & Chester banner. From that point onward, design, manufacture, strain gauging, calibration and commercial activity became increasingly unified under the PCM identity recognised today. The years that followed saw the company continue to evolve, with new calibration systems, expanded instrumentation capability and more manufacturing processes progressively brought in-house, while the core focus on accurate and dependable load measurement remained unchanged.

2001

The Italy Charity Run

In 2001, our old logo made its way onto the bonnet of a car taking part in a charity run to Italy. The photos were taken by Robert Edwards, who was a graduate at Ricardo. It's a small but telling piece of PCM's history, and a reminder of the motorsport partnerships that have long shaped the engineering expertise we deliver today.

2021

The Third Generation

PCM is now entering its third generation, with Jack and Harry Chester taking increasingly significant roles within the business. Joining the company was always anticipated, but never treated simply as a right of succession. From an early age there was a strong emphasis on education, hard work, technical ability and maintaining extremely high standards. Growing up around PCM also meant growing up around engineering discussions, customer problems, production challenges and the constant expectation that things could always be improved. The responsibility of the third generation is therefore not simply to preserve what came before, but to use more than 40 years of accumulated knowledge as the foundation for the next stage of PCM’s development.

2022

Coming Full Circle

One of the strongest links between PCM’s first and third generations can be found through the British Society for Strain Measurement. Brian Chester had been closely involved with the Society since its early years, but following his death that relationship naturally became less active. Decades later, it is now being rebuilt. Since graduating, Jack Chester has regularly attended the BSSM International Conference on Advances in Experimental Mechanics, finished runner-up in the Young Stress Analyst Competition and achieved Level 1 and Level 2 strain measurement certification with distinction. PCM is now a corporate member, while Jack also sits on CERCO, contributing to examination marking and the promotion of strain measurement best practice.

See Jack Chester's BSSM Submissions:

2024

A Fresh Look For PCM

In 2024, PCM unveiled a new online experience, reflecting over 40 years of expertise and customer commitment. The rebrand brought a modernised identity, a refreshed and more user friendly website, and a custom built client portal designed to give our customers faster access to the technical documents and resources they rely on. It marked a new chapter for us, evolving to meet customer needs while staying true to the trusted services in load cell manufacture, strain gauging and calibration that we've built our reputation on.