David Forrest Bell (born 8th April 1945) was a British industrial leader and long-serving Chairman of Ironsides Lubricants Limited, a specialist manufacturer of lubricating greases based in Stockport, Cheshire, UK. He was the third generation of the Bell family to lead the company, continuing a legacy that began in the 1930s.
David was President of the British Lubricants Federation (the predecessor of UKLA) from 2000 to 2002 and was a Board member from 4th February 2000 to 2nd November 2005.
Early life and family legacy
David Bell was the grandson of George Bell, who founded Ironsides Lubricants in the 1930s by importing lubricants from the United States to support the British steel industry. The business was formally registered as Ironsides Lubricants Ltd. in 1940. His father, Daniel Bell, later expanded the company further through the acquisition of JS Oils in Stockport in 1953.
Career at ironsides lubricants
David Bell began working in the family business in 1965, marking the start of a career spanning six decades. Under his leadership, Ironsides has navigated major industrial and global challenges, including:
- A catastrophic factory fire in 1980 and subsequent full rebuild completed in 1982.
- The shift in 1990 toward wholesale supply within the UK lubricants industry.
- Strategic development of specialist grease products in the 1990s.
- A full transition in 2002 to focus exclusively on high quality grease manufacturing for domestic and international markets.
- Successfully steering the business through events such as the global financial crisis, Brexit, and the COVID 19 pandemic.
Throughout this period, the company expanded its technical capability, R&D innovation, and global reach.
Reputation and legacy
David Bell is widely regarded for his stewardship of a multigenerational family enterprise, his resilience through industry challenges, and his commitment to technical innovation in lubricant manufacturing. Under his Chairmanship, Ironsides Lubricants has sustained its status as one of Britain’s leading independent grease producers, proudly maintaining its identity as a family run company rooted in Stockport.
David will be known as one of the characters of the industry with his sense of humour, passion for the sector and the people that worked in it. He will be sorely missed.
