Ted Fort obituary: Lancashire engineer who built global valve manufacturer Fort Vale dies aged 88

Mr Fort established the company in 1967 after buying two surplus production machines at a Ministry of Defence equipment sale. Using them, he began manufacturing a new valve design for the fuel oil delivery industry that quickly became an industry standard.

Through a combination of engineering expertise and business instinct, he expanded the firm into emerging markets including the international ISO tank container sector, helping to drive decades of growth. Today the Fort Vale Group employs around 500 people worldwide, with offices and depots in six countries and manufacturing facilities in both the UK and China.

Edward Sagar Fort was born in Colne in 1937 and grew up in a farmhouse without electricity or sewerage. As a child he raised hens and sold eggs to earn pocket money.

He struggled academically and failed the eleven-plus, attending Park Secondary Modern School in Colne. His fortunes changed when his mother secured him an apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick.

Mr Fort thrived in the engineering environment and went on to gain HNC and HND qualifications at Burnley College. At Rolls-Royce he worked on cooling duct designs in turbine blades – a development that significantly increased the power of jet engines and contributed to modern jet propulsion.

He later joined Lucas Aerospace in Burnley in 1960, gaining experience working on combustion chambers and airflow testing rigs.

A keen sailor, Mr Fort raced at Burwain Sailing Club in Foulridge, where he met Tony Clegg, who later recruited him as deputy chief engineer at Drum Engineering in Bradford. There he was introduced to the road transport industry and the development of pumps and flow control valves for fuel delivery tankers.

His own business began almost by accident. After placing modest bids at a Ministry of Defence machinery sale, he was surprised to receive an invoice for £550 for two machines. With help from his father, he opened a small machine shop in Colne and began trading.

The company grew rapidly and moved to larger premises in Nelson in 1974. Its first export order – worth £10 – came in 1971 after a sailing trip to Ireland. As the tank container market expanded internationally, exports surged.

Fort Vale went on to win four Queen’s Awards for Export Achievement, beginning in 1981, and received a King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2024.

Mr Fort was appointed OBE in 1987 for services to business and exports. In 2018 he received an honorary degree from Lancaster University for his philanthropy and campaigning on climate change.

The company later expanded further, including the acquisition of the former Philips television factory site at Simonstone, near Burnley, where new offices and manufacturing facilities were developed.

A strong advocate of apprenticeships, Mr Fort introduced a training scheme at Fort Vale inspired by his own experience at Rolls-Royce. In 2018 the company opened a sports centre for employees at its site.

Despite appearing in the Sunday Times Rich List – at one point ranked as high as 150th – he often said wealth carried responsibility. He established charitable foundations supporting young people in north-west England and community causes around Beaulieu, where he later lived with his partner, Susan Friedlander.

Concerned about climate change, he funded the Fort Climate Centre in Beaulieu to promote awareness and collaboration between businesses, community groups and educational organisations. The centre opened in 2023.

Mr Fort remained an enthusiastic sailor throughout his life, competing in several classes and racing at events in the UK and abroad.

He is survived by two daughters and two grandchildren.