ABSTRACT
Richard Arkwright is one of the central figures of the Industrial Revolution, and is often credited with the founding of the factory system. A controversial figure in his own time, Arkwright is most often considered for his achievements as a production engineer. However, he was also an entrepreneurial genius of the first order, who played an important role in the diffusion of new manufacturing technology. In developing methods for mechanised, large-scale production, Arkwright laid the foundations for mass production and its necessary counterpart, mass marketing.
