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A visit by Brian Hall, Editor
It was from the varied stock carried by Till and Whitehead that general ironmongery, contractors tools, picks and shovels were supplied for the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal in the 1890’s. Those early entrepreneurial steps laid the foundations for a company that constantly moved with the times and the firm has over the years been involved in all major growth projects within the conurbation, supplying shovels for the Ship Canal, rivets for the railways, and all manner of materials for the building of the city’s universities, motorways, office blocks and airport.
By the early 60’s the original Chester Road premises were aging badly. Soon after this the site, and the surrounding neighbourhood was scheduled for demolition due to the proposed building of the Mancunian Way. Some big decisions had to be made about the future of Till and Whitehead, it was even a possibility that the company would finally cease trading in 1966, 90 years after it first opened its doors to customers.
However after a lot of consideration and debate an alternative solution was found, to carry on stronger than before and the business moved to a larger modern building. The firm moved to other premises and was able to hold much larger stocks and develop other departmental interests there.
The company went from strength to strength and when it reached its centenary, in 1976, a huge number of customers, as well as staff and suppliers past and present attended a gala dinner at the famous Lancashire Cricket Club.
The 1990’s was another important decade for the company, as competition became more intense and it became apparent that customers were becoming far more aware of matters of price and value of products. This made it an excellent time to join THS and the company benefited immediately from the negotiated pricing as well as a further expansion of product ranges available to sell at the Manchester trade counter.
In spite of these developments the business grew relatively little throughout the 1990’s.
However with such a dynamic company it is no surprise this situation was soon confronted and the decision was made in 1999 that in a modern business climate the company would have to branch out from being only in Manchester and that it should adopt a bold acquisition policy that would see the business expand and develop significantly in the coming decade.
The list of acquisitions since the end of 2000, the third century in which Till and Whitehead has been trading, is quite notable, given this was a small company in 1999:
In the financial year ending in March 2001, the Company expanded significantly with a careful acquisition policy and purchased three similar businesses, the first was Architectural Ironmongery Supplies in Bolton in December 2000, soon followed by L Birkinshaw in Leeds in January 2001, and FR Stubbs in York on 31st March 2001. A further opportunity was presented when an Engineers Merchant which had an outstanding reputation and had been in business for many years, Handley & Beck Ltd, went into voluntary liquidation in September 2002.
The expansion of the group with the addition of Handley & Beck was a particulary good fit as it was a business of similar background, ideals and structure and which complimented the Manchester branch more closely than the other three predominantly ironmongery based business. In July 2005 Till & Whitehead took another step in its expansion, moving beyond its northern origins and buying a business based in the south - DIY Plastics UK in Faringdon.
The company’s largest acquisition was of UK Fasteners in Cheltenham in March 2006, meaning that Tills now imports some of its own product, mainly in window screws. It was another shrewd choice for the company’s expansion plan as the product quality is second to none.
More recently the Company has purchased the business of Layburn Tools, in Goole, a THS member with a wider range and depth of product than the original Till and Whitehead.
Till & Whitehead Limited now employs over 60 staff in seven locations and the range of products includes hand & power tools, architectural ironmongery & security products, fastenings & fixings, engineers cutting tools, abrasives, ladders, paints & sealants, safety & protective clothing, janitorial products and racking & storage.
Visitors to its premises will recognise the quality of brands in stock, with products from Carlisle Brass, Harrison Clough, Dickies, Draper, Makita, L.J Hyndlemans, Evans Vanodine and many others. Like all THS members the range of what is available is pretty much unbeatable.
The Till & Whitehead staff are given thorough training so they can be relied on to assist with help and advice really aiding the customer in choosing the product that is best suited to their needs.
The company is able to provide a comprehensive service in supplying engineering and building consumables at competitive prices with customers such as local authorities, building contractors, utilities, engineers and maintenance units. Because the company has been delivering excellent service for so long it may well be the best possible specialist source for architectural ironmongery, fasteners, tools and allied equipment.
The company has developed extensive experience of distribution from small orders to contract volume and offers same day and emergency own van delivery service to local account customers and also provide a next day and 48 hour carrier despatch. In fact Till & Whitehead can, and does, supply throughout the UK, and even the world.
Few companies can have managed to expand as widely, or successfully as Till & Whitehead, and to do so while keeping true to core values of quality and service established in 1876 certainly speaks volumes about the type of company it is. It has been a long journey, but it seems certain that Till & Whitehead will manage to go even further yet.
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