Fort established Fort Vale Engineering Limited in Colne, Lancashire, following the purchase of two production machines at a sale of surplus equipment from the Ministry of Defence.
The two machines were perfect for the production of Fort’s new design of valve for the fuel oil delivery industry which went on to become an industry standard.
By combining his design skills with keen business acumen, he quickly identified emerging markets and produced quality products to fill the demand.
The ISO tank container market was one such and provided a major leap forward in the growth of the company.
The Fort Vale Group now employs around 500 people worldwide, has offices and depots in six countries and a manufacturing centre in China as well as in the UK.
The growth of the Fort Vale Group included the acquisition and disposal of several businesses, most notably, current holdings of Francis Searchlights, Bolton, and Riggs Autopack, food industry equipment manufacturers in Nelson.
Fort Vale sales offices and depots were established in America, the Netherlands, Singapore, Australia and China.
He was listed in the Sunday Times Rich List, ranking as high as 150th, but Fort always said that with wealth comes responsibility.
He set up two charitable foundations, one aiming to help youth in North West England and the other, set up with his partner of 25 years, the late Susan Friedlander, helping charitable causes in and around Beaulieu where they had settled.
He is survived by two daughters and two grandchildren.
