National Filling Factory, Georgetown
Winston Churchill being shown around the factory by female workers on 9 October 1918
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| Built | 1915 |
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| Location | Houston |
| Industry | Defence |
| Employees | 12,000 |
| Area | 250 acres - 540 acres after expansion |
| Owner(s) | Ministry of Munitions |
| Defunct | 1919 |
The National Filling Factory, Georgetown, was a First World War munitions factory situated near Houston in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is believed that the Ministry of Munitions owned up to 12 filling factories; Georgetown was known as NFF.4.
In May 1915, David Lloyd George, who was the Minister of Munitions wanted to construct four large shell filling factories in Great Britain; because of the Shell Crisis of 1915. He arranged for William Weir who was the Director of Munitions in Scotland to oversee the building of such a facility. Weir selected a management board to find a suitable location for the factory.
A 250 acres (100 ha) site at Fulwood (near Houston) was selected. The site was chosen as it near to Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock which offered a large labour source. This meant there would not be a requirement to build new housing to accommodate workers at the factory.
An abundant water supply was required for processing at the factory. Water was required for powering machines, domestic use and fire fighting. As the River Gryfe, Dargavel Burn and Paisley's civic supply were all located nearby, Fulwood provided an ideal site for the factory.
The nearby Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway was also a major factor in locating the factory at Fulwood. Its line could accommodate goods being transported to and from the factory and workers commuting to the facility. The chosen site also offered over 1,000 acres (400 ha) of flat isolated land for possible expansion if required.
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