Peter Collins began a career in organbuilding with an indentured apprenticeship with a long established London firm.  Further training and experience was gained by working with one of the most imaginative and inspiring organbuilders of the twentieth century in mainland Europe.  During a long training period an extremely varied range of work was encountered from instruments several centuries old to the most up to date and well engineered mechanical instruments of up to four manuals.

A business and workshop was set up in 1964 south of St Albans, Hertfordshire, work for and interest in the company was abundant, expansion was required and this was achieved with the purchase of an old school in Redbourn and enlargement of the workforce.  Many instruments were constructed for the home and export markets as well as specialist restorations where the now accepted principles of conservation were applied then.  Towards the end of the 1980’s it was obvious an expanded workforce and larger premises were required.  Melton Mowbray, famous for pies and cheese, offered an excellent opportunity for a purpose built workshop with the further option for future expansion.  The company was moved in the middle of 1989 into the new premises, new machinery and an efficient layout all contribute towards constructing a quality product in an economical way.

Many notable instruments from Melton Mowbray have been created with the multi-skilled personnel we have been able to recruit.  To date the company has made and installed new instruments in north and south America, near the Artic Circle and in dry and sub tropical parts of Australia as well as five countries in Europe.  All instruments have survived these extremes of climate due to our meticulous approach to the technical design and suitability of each component for the purpose required.  Alongside our new instrument construction we have a team working with older instruments, here the emphasis is to retain the status quo wherever possible and desirable.   Many times older parts are broken or missing, we take great pride to re-create items in the style of the original master.

Peter Collins in a personal capacity has written many articles, given lectures to a wide variety of interested people from professional bodies to university students.  Peter Collins is a past member and a past president of the Federation of Master Organbuilders, a past member of the organ committee to the Council for the Care of Churches, and is presently a board member of the Institute of British Organbuilders, the industry's professional body.