He was looking for a means of producing energy allowing him to build a factory. The main energy resource he sought was water, the flow of which had to be strong enough to turn a water wheel and reliable enough not to dry out in the summer climate. After days, even weeks of searching, he finally found the right spot, just ten miles south of Manchester and two miles northwest of Wilmslow. The Bollin river crosses the sandstone path near the hamlet of Styal. The river founded was rapid and deep, and there was ample space beside it to build a mill. Samuel Greg leased the land with the right to use the water from its owner, the Earl of Stamford and Warrington. In 1789 Greg married Hannah, Adam Lightbody, a Unitary merchant from Liverpool, which greatly benefited Samuel's business. Hannah brought a dowry of £10,000 and extremely useful business connections to her family and business. This suggests that rich people married other rich people to secure their future.