With the prospect of import duty protection and the support of government there was substantial investment in a new cotton mill at Annesbrook in Nelson in the early 1960s. But in 1962 when the new buildings had little more than their frames in place the scheme was abandoned. Two years later the buildings were completed and taken over as a car assembly plant which opened in 1966. Eventually in 1998 following the removal of tariffs on imported cars the car assembly operation also closed. The buildings were finally removed in 2009 to make way for a retail development.