Underworld

Underworld is the local factory in Coronation Street. The factory produced mainly underwear and had been owned by multiple people over the years. The factory was first seen in 1990 when the modern side of the street was built. The factory was originally a printing workshop called Dun 2 A T owned by Steve McDonald. Eventually, Mike Baldwin bought the building, named it Underworld, and started manufacturing sportswear. Mike got a contract with Stephen Reid, Gail's brother and representative of the Canadian company Kbec. When Mike started doing cheap copies of Kbec's goods, Stephen threatened to take legal action against Mike. This was when Don Brennan, who had a grudge against Mike since he sold him a bankrupt garage, set fire to the factory for revenge. Thus, any evidence that Stephen would have used to prosecute Mike had gone up in smoke. When the factory was rebuilt, Mike got a contract with Angie Freeman to manufacture lingerie. The new factory caught fire in 2004 when Janice Battersby caused a fire by dropping a cigarette onto a pile of clothes in the stockroom. Nick Tilsley saved Janice but they both lost their jobs. After Mike died in 2006, his son, Danny ran the factory until 2007 when Jamie Baldwin and Adam Barlow sold it to Paul and Liam Connor. Carla inherited Paul's half of the factory when he was killed in 2007. Liam took on Paul's widow Carla and new comer Tony Gordon. When Liam was murdered by Tony (for having an affair with Tony's fiancée Carla), Tony took over. Underworld was destroyed by a fire on 9th June 2010 but was re-opened. Carla accepted a business contract from Frank Foster who signed a contract to give him a 40% ownership. However, Frank was murdered just a few hours after signing the deal but because the paperwork was still in his possession, the contract was not legally binding. Carla then became co-proprietor alongside Peter Barlow, after briefly being in partnership with her brother, Rob Donovan. With Peter signing his 50% share of the business back over to his wife in July 2014, Carla is once again the sole owner.

The Curse of Underworld
Underworld is notorious for strings of bad luck and death in recent years, including people associated with it. Mike Baldwin died after a battle with Alzheimer's in 2006 in the arms of rival Ken Barlow on the factory steps. In 2007, polish worker Kasia Barowicz died from falling down the stairs. Later in the year, factory boss Paul Connor died in a car crash. A year later, his brother Liam was murdered by new factory owner Tony Gordon, who was engaged to Paul's widow Carla. Tony also attempted to kill pensioner Jed Stone over the Christmas period of 2008, but had spared him and installed Jed in a flat in Wigan. Tony perished in 2010 when he burned down the factory with Carla in it, although she escaped. A month after the incident, John Stape buried his old work colleague Colin Fishwick under the factory floor after stealing his identity; the body was recovered a year later. Carla's next business partner Frank Foster raped her, but was mysteriously found dead in the premises in March 2012 after conning the factory out of her.

The owners of the factory over the years have been:

Current employees

 * Carla Barlow (Proprietor) (2007-)
 * Sally Webster (Personal Assistant) (2014-)
 * Julie Carp (Machinist) (2010-)
 * Beth Tinker (Machinist) (2011-)
 * Sean Tully (Machinist) (2005-07,2012-
 * Izzy Armstrong (Machinist) (2011-)
 * Fiz Stape (Machinist) (2006-12,2013-)
 * Sinead Tinker (Machinist) (2014-)
 * Kirk Sutherland (Packer) (2013-)
 * Maddie Heath (Packer) (2014-)
 * Alya Nazir (Co-Owner 20%) (2014-)
 * Peter Barlow (tempoary leave) (co-owner 39%) (2014-)

Former owners and staff

 * Mike Baldwin - Proprietor (1998-2004) and Co-Proprietor(2004-2006)
 * Danny Baldwin - Co-Proprietor (2004-2006)
 * Adam Barlow - Co-Proprietor (2006)
 * Paul Connor - Co-Proprietor (2006-2007)
 * Liam Connor - Co-Proprietor 2006-2009)
 * Tony Gordon - Co-Proprietor (2009)
 * Nick Tilsley - Co-Proprietor (2010)
 * Frank Foster - Co-Proprietor (2011-2012)
 * Anne Foster - Acting Co-Proprietor (2012)
 * Rob Donovan - Co-Proprietor (2012)
 * Peter Barlow - Co-Proprietor (2013-2014)
 * Rosie Webster - Personal Assistant
 * Michelle Connor - Assistant Manager (2010-2013)
 * Tracy Barlow - Packer (2013)
 * Janice Battersby
 * Kelly Crabtree
 * Becky Granger
 * Joanne Jackson
 * Wiki Dankowska
 * Angela Harris
 * Kasia Barowicz
 * Jessie Jackson
 * Linda Baldwin
 * Gwen Davies
 * Alison Webster
 * Eileen Grimshaw
 * Bobbi Lewis
 * Karen McDonald
 * Sonia Marshall
 * Edna Miller
 * Maria Connor
 * Gary Windass
 * Kirsty Soames
 * Karl Munro