Founded in 1986 and still manufacturing in Kent today, Talon has spent four decades improving, refining and expanding its range of solutions to help plumbers on site or in the home.
1986 was the year of the first Comic Relief fundraiser and the introduction of GCSEs into schools. It was also the year a salesman called Mike Dudney, out on the road selling pipe clips to plumbers, noticed that often, after a cold weekend, plumbers would return to site to find pipes had popped out of their clips. It gave Mike the thought that there could be a better way.
Deciding to do something about it was the beginning of Talon Manufacturing. With the help of close friends, Mike, as he happily told everyone, didn’t reinvent the hinged clip, but he refined it.
He had a handful of hinged clip samples produced and took them to a plumbing trade show. Plumbers liked the design and saw the benefit. Encouraged, Mike expanded the sizes and, in May 1986, Talon Manufacturing was officially born.
“Mike just took what existed and made it better,” says Nick Josey, a family friend of Mike from the early days and Talon’s QHSE Manager. “He went to the drawing board, started drawing the first clip and then showed a few people on his rounds. One of his pals was a tool maker, so he gave him all the drawings and together they created the clip – and people started to show a lot of interest in it.”
From day one, Talon was British made. The first clips were manufactured in Rochester and today production continues in Gillingham. The original logo, an osprey, to symbolise strength and precision. While the osprey may have since gone, the claw remains – that distinctive edge to the ‘T’ in Talon, representing the brand’s ultimate grip.
Growing momentum
Momentum gathered and a thousand clips sold soon became 10,000. What set Talon apart wasn’t just the product, it was the mindset. Mike listened. If plumbers were experiencing issues, Talon worked to solve them.
Spacers were added to the product list to accommodate lagging. Nail-on clips were tweaked and improved. Each development was incremental, practical and grounded in real-world feedback. As the range expanded, so did the understanding that Talon wasn’t just selling clips but building a business around everyday plumbing solutions.
Quality became a defining feature. Plumbers didn’t want to revisit jobs because a hinge had failed or a clip had loosened. Talon’s engineering focus meant products were designed to last, to hold firm and to give installers confidence that once fitted, they wouldn’t need attention again.
Service mattered too and Talon prioritised next-day dispatch.
Business growth
For many years, Talon remained a close-knit operation, run by family and friends. But as time passed, Mike knew that the company’s future needed careful consideration. When the moment came to sell, he wanted Talon in safe hands, somewhere that would protect its British manufacturing heritage and uphold the standards he’d set. For Mike, the Davidson Group proved to be the right fit. Today, while the team has grown to more than 50 people, seven colleagues remain from those early days – a reminder of the company’s roots.
Listening to customers continues to shape the range. One example is Snappit. Developed in response to installer feedback, Snappit pipe covers provide a clean, professional way to conceal exposed copper pipework. Manufactured from high-grade uPVC and UV stabilised to prevent discolouration, chipping or flaking, Snappit offers a long-term, mess-free alternative to paint.
Sealing pipes
In 2023, Talon expanded its offering with the acquisition of PipeSnug. Designed to create a durable, airtight seal around pipe penetrations without the need for mortar, sealant or tape, PipeSnug can be fitted rapidly and meets the updated Part L of the Building regs.
FlueSnug is designed to seal flue penetrations and the company has more recently developed the FS5 to tackle another common frustration – aligning and new flue with an existing core-drilled hole. The FS5 fits directly into a 127mm core-drilled hole, so there’s no need to enlarge openings or pack gaps with additional materials, helping to make boiler swaps quicker and cleaner.
Further development
The recent acquisition of Davidson Holdings by the Genuit Group marks the next chapter, signalling continued investment in product development, technical support and supply chain strength.
Looking back over four decades, Talon’s story isn’t one of dramatic success. It’s one of careful listening, thoughtful refinement and steady expansion.
Image: Talon
