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75 Years of Success and Service
The business is now run by Simon Douglas-Clark and his wife Monica. Simon is the grandson of the company’s founder, William Clark, so both firm and family are firmly rooted in Jones and Clark’s home town of Burton-On-Trent. With the addition of a long standing and knowledgeable staff and a wide range of high quality stock it is no wonder the business is thriving.
In 1932 two men, William Clark and Thomas Jones, first set up a business in Burton which through many changes and developments continues today.
In those early years Jones and Clark were ‘saw doctors’ sharpening woodworking saws and tools, together with butcher’s equipment.
The shop’s reputation and popularity grew and soon the business had to move to new, larger, premises. Those premises on Waterloo Street, a site that the company still occupies today, saw the services Jones and Clark offered expand to include lawn mowers and re-grinding cutters and knives for the rubber industry. Supplying saws and tools became an increasingly important part of the company’s business. For several years the company was known as ‘The Saw Shop’, a name many people in Burton still recognize.
Brian Clark joined the company in 1961, having completed an apprenticeship with Spear and Jackson in Sheffield. Soon he was able to steer the business towards tool distribution, selling to both the general public and to industry. Brian had correctly identified that this move would see the company go from strength to strength.
The company continued to find new areas for development and rapidly grew into the business we recognize today - a well-established company selling and servicing chainsaws, electric tools and accessories, abrasives and cutting tools. The addition of these extra lines meant another development would logically follow, and soon a repair department was created to run alongside the busy saw and cutting tool sharpening department.
The 60s and 70s saw the firm’s continued expansion, trading beyond Burton into Derby, Lichfield and Tamworth.
Because of this continued increase in trade the company needed to update and rebuild its premises. In 1973 the houses next to the shop were demolished and the whole site redesigned, that new façade would be familiar to residents of Burton as the Jones and Clarke they know today.
Today under the directorship of Brian’s son Simon Douglas-Clark the company has a staff of ten and an annual turnover of around £1 million and continues to trade throughout a 25-mile radius of Burton.
Simon recognizes the crucial role his enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff plays in the ongoing success of the business. “The product knowledge everyone has is second-to-none and we endeavour to give all our customers an excellent service and pride ourselves on being able to find very specialists products and will recommend the right tools for the right job,” he says. “It has always been our policy to sell good quality products and the personal service we offer sets us apart from other companies within the industry.”
Jones and Clark has an impressive record of staff loyalty, a clear indicator of the pride its employees are able to take in working for such a good business, three staff members have worked for the company for over 25 years. “Customers come in and see a familiar face and trust the advice they are given,” Simon points out.
Another major factor in Jones and Clark’s success has been its membership of THS and in 2002 the company was declared THS Member of the Year. This was the first time the group had awarded the title member of the year, so the importance of Jones and Clark being picked is especially significant, and as Simon says for him and his staff it was a real honour.
Not surprisingly for a company with a track record of innovation Jones and Clark has taken full advantage of the opportunities the internet provides, to increase the company’s trade and offer customers another way to take advantage of the company’s excellent product range. The website www.jonesandclark.co.uk enables customers to browse and order products through the internet, this means that wherever they are, countrywide, customers can buy goods from Jones and Clarkand they will be sent direct.
From its shop and website Jones and Clark offers a wide range of products including abrasives; cutting tools; fixings and fasteners; hand tools; janitorial supplies and paper products; lubricants and adhesives; paints, coatings and maintenance products; precision tools (electric and air); safety and protective equipment; spillage control, and welding products and consumables from leading manufacturers including Bosch, Draper, Metabo, Sealey, Dickies, Gedore, Teng, Pferd., Makita, DeWalt and many more.
Simon Douglas-Clark together with his wife, Monica, also a director of the company and business development manager, have been raising money for charity, throughout October and continuing in November. This year they are raising money for both the MS Society and St Giles Hospice.
On the 21st of October they ran the Lady Godiva half marathon and are holding online auctions and sales on ebay during throughout October and November with 100 per cent of the profits being donated to the two charities. The products being auctioned have been kindly donated by Jones and Clarks suppliers so follow the link from the company’s website pick up an early Christmas present at bargain prices.
Another pledge is to donate a percentage of the company’s turnover directly from sales in the store during October and November. “We feel very strongly about our support to both charities as Monica and myself - have family members colleagues and friends who have been affected by multiple sclerosis in some way and who have used the services of the hospice,” says Simon.
So after 75 years Jones and Clark not only continues to be a successful and well run business it is also a highly valued and important part of Burton-On-Trent, and a large part of the country around it.
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Airstream Communications