100 Years of James Hargreaves

100 Years of Quality, Value and Service

This year we are celebrating our Centenary Year. Since March 14th, 1923, we have been in the business of plumbing, heating and bathrooms. Over the years, countless customers have trusted us to provide top-quality plumbing supplies and expert advice for their plumbing needs. 

As we look to the future, we are expanding further across the UK as well as providing Low Carbon Heating solutions such as Air Source Heat Pumps and Underfloor Heating for our customers.

A Century Of Service

We're a company that deals in the nuts and bolts (or should that be taps & washers?) of plumbing and heating. But, really, ours is a business rooted in relationships. It always has been. Our story isn't just about trade counter expertise and quality products. It's about people coming together to build & do incredible things.

James Hargreaves first opened the doors of his plumbers' merchants in Lancashire in 1923. His family ran this business for over four decades serving the local community. Then, in 1968 everything would change.

It was a tough time for plumbers. Soaring prices squeezed margins & threatened livelihoods. Looking for a way forward, nine independent plumbers came together with a plan to buy their own supply business. A certain small firm in Blackburn fit the bill perfectly.

With £40,000 invested, James Hargreaves had new owners and a new direction. Because these nine men (and their 60-plus shareholder-tradespeople) wanted more than a business. They wanted to support their fellow tradespeople, protecting them from surging costs & shoddy supplies. After all, who better to get it right for plumbers, than plumbers? So, from their new home in Burnley, the business would offer a service made to meet plumbers' needs - a trade counter to count on.

Bernard Rothwell became Chairman & in the early 70s and was joined by some of the area's leading businessmen - Lou Whitaker, Jack Stansfield, John Smith and later, Alan Dent. Slowly but steadily, the business grew, in time opening branches in Blackburn and Nelson.

When the 80s arrived, the new decade brought new innovation: Information Technology. With the power to transform operations, the board recognised its potential and appointed Bernard's son Gordon as our first Computer Manager, straight from university. At a time when the world ran on paper, he turned those new-fangled gizmos into business-boosting efficiency. His title soon changed - he was Managing Director for over 30 years until 2023, when he became our Chairman - but the hunger for improvement remains. 

In the years that followed, dozens more trade counters opened up across the country, hundreds of friendly experts joined the team & thousands more customers came through our doors. Today, there's no bigger independent plumbers' merchant. The next chapter is for the next generation. Gordon's sons, Jack and Lewis are now part of the team. And the Rothwells aren't the only family here. We have husbands & wives. Parents and children. Countless colleagues with decades of experience under their belts. 

So, the next time you pop in, you'll find a lot of history, family and relationships behind that counter. Far more than just taps and washers.

That’s why we’ve established our Low Carbon Heating Team. We’ve given them training – on heat pumps, underfloor heating, water regulations and domestic heating design. We’ve made connections – with manufacturers and suppliers, software providers and system designers. We’ve built a new Low Carbon Centre for training and demonstrations. In 2022, we delivered low-carbon heating seminars to more than 500 plumbers and heating engineers.

In other words, we’re not just charting our future. We’re pioneers for the whole industry.