Turkey red

The following fifty years saw profits at their peak and the growth and merger of individual firms. By 1866 Archibald Orr Ewing & Co, owned three of the four works on the east side of the Leven at Levenbank, Milton and Dillichip. In 1860 back from retirement John Orr Ewing purchased the associated works at Croftengea and Levenfield. He called the amalgamated works, the largest in the Vale, Alexandria Works although locally it was always referred to as 'The Craft'.

Taking advantage of this moment was twenty six year old John Orr Ewing who in 1835 leased the Croftengea Works. He made so much money he retired only ten years later with a mansion estate in Ratho, Stirlingshire, purchased for £20,000. He gave his brother, Archibald Orr Ewing, sufficient capital to lease the then small and antiquated Levenbank Works. Around this time the last of the nine major works on the Leven was built by the Allan Bros at Dillichip in 1848.