Joe Brown Llanberis Celebrates 40 Years of DMM
Founded in 1981 as Moorhouse Engineering in Bethesda, the company we now know as DMM employed just four people but after moving to Llanberis in 1986, now almost forty years later there are just over 200 men and women on payroll!
As the UK’s sole climbing equipment manufacturer DMM still hold to the original premise of the founding directors: to make the best possible equipment at the best price. A philosophy that has spurred the company to continue to develop and innovate, to bring unique and world leading products to the market.
Joe Browns and The Climbers Shop are very proud to be one of DMM’s oldest customers and continue to offer one of the broadest DMM ranges in the country.
To honour our 40 year relationship we are displaying two key pieces of sculpture celebrating sustainability, equality and history; Universal Man and Universal Woman.
Universal Man
Tasked with exhibiting at the Llanberis Film Festival in 2010, Artist and Alpinist Andy Parkin intentionally arrived with no materials and nothing to exhibit. Following his passion to breathe life into discarded objects he drew inspiration from discarded items in the skips at climbing equipment manufacturer DMM based in Llanberis to conjure up a piece in just a handful of hours in the corner of the festival marquee.
You can watch a video of Andy creating his sculpture here
Universal Woman
Created to pay homage to Andy Parkins original sculpture, Artist and Engineer Alice Dowson created Universal Woman over three months in between working full time at DMM as their Softgoods Engineer. Every item has been re-used from DMM scrap or product seconds, with the artwork eventually going on permanent display at the DMM manufacturing facility. The artwork celebrates the strength of equality and sustainability in climbing in all its forms: Bouldering, sport, trad, indoor, competition, mountaineering and expeditions.
You can see both artworks on display in our Llanberis shop window all the way through until the end of November with backdrops of historical images and stunning technical drawings of DMM products. Links to a fantastic film celebrating the history of DMM in the words of those who founded it will be on line shortly but if you are wondering how your climbing gear is actually made then why not take a virtual factory tour here:
Universal Man by Andy Parkin
Universal Woman by Alice Dowson
