While the residential area (close to Penilee to the west and directly adjoining North Cardonald to the east, primarily consisting of cottage flats) is wholly within Glasgow, the greater part of the industrial estate on the other side of the Inverclyde Line railway tracks falls under the jurisdiction of neighbouring Renfrew, although uses a Glasgow postcode.

Under a plan managed by the Air Ministry, the Shadow factory plan was managed by industrialist Herbert Austin, with the aim to create nine new factories, and invest in enabling existing motor vehicle manufacturing plants to expand capacity and make the switch to aircraft production more easy.

With its ready-built housing areas, easy access to the Glasgow to Paisley railway line, and in need of commercial activity, Hillington proved an opportunity not to be missed.

[2] Taken over by Rolls-Royce themselves directly on 1 April 1947, the factory initially repaired and overhauled both Merlin and Griffon engines as well as producing spare parts.

Increased requirement for the Avon turbojet for the Korean War meant that it switched totally to fanjet production, and in 1965 became a specialist compressor component manufacturing facility.