Corporate Information - Our Company History |
An Introduction to Hickleys
The story of the Company now spans three generations. In 1925 Mr H. N. Hickley started a battery service in Billet Street, Taunton. At about the same time Mr L. W. G. Meikle started a similar service in a lock up garage behind the Crown and Sceptre Inn on Station Road, Taunton. In 1932 the businesses merged with Mr Meikle joining H. N. Hickley as a partner. Including the partners the staff was four.
In the early thirties a Mr Harold Towler joined as a fully trained auto-electrician and so electrical repairs to cars (carried out at the roadside) became part of the new services offered. The Company sold Lucas batteries, Lucas ignition and various other spares. In 1938 a small Jowett two cylinder van was put on the road wholesaling to customers in Wiveliscombe, Wellington, Ilminster, Chard, Bridgwater and Burnham on Sea.
In 1939 Mr Hickley decided to retire and Mr Leonard Meikle took over the business.
In 1939/40 Mr John Meikle joined the Company before war service and took over the van run. After the war sales of parts expanded rapidly and a second auto-electrician was taken on. In 1948 the firm became a Limited company.
In 1954 larger premise were found in East Reach, Taunton. Sales continued to grow and the company now had four auto-electricians. In the mid fifties came further expansion with the opening of a branch in Bridgwater
Each year through the fifties, sales turnover moved ahead at about 20% per annum.
The early sixties saw further changes. East Reach had become too small and in 1961 new premises were built in St. James Street, Taunton. The company then added Diesel Fuel Injection to its range of services.
It was in the St. James Street premises in 1965 that the Valtone story began. It had become apparent that nobody was offering a service to the Vehicle Body Repair Trade. A van was put on the road selling just body shop consumables. The new venture took off like a rocket and, recognising the potential, a new Company was formed. What should it be called? Since Taunton is located in the valley of the River Tone, why not ‘Valtone’? (This is now known as the Refinish Division). Soon our area of operation was expanding fast. A branch in Plymouth was opened and the area covered from Taunton extended as far as Barnstaple.
Meanwhile in Bridgwater we had the opportunity of renting an old furniture factory in Mount Street. The move was made and the Bridgwater branch was able to develop both its sales and workshop activities.
After seven years, the Taunton branch outgrew the St. James Street premises and it was time to move again. Large new purpose-built premises were erected in Castle Street, and opened in 1968. In retrospect we really had over-reached ourselves and initially the volume of business was not quite good enough for the size of the premises. However continued expansion took care of this problem within a year or two. The greater space gave a tremendous boost to all our activities, profits were good and within seven years we were running out of space again.
Over a period of three years, commencing in 1976, a new three section building was erected on the site to accommodate the Technical Workshop Division of the Company. This released much needed space in the main building to contain the growing storage requirements of both companies.
As well as its traditional business, Hickleys now had an established and fast growing Tools and Garage Equipment Department and had opened a retail Autospares shop at the front of the main building. At the same time Valtone was making good progress particularly in the field of paint distribution.
The seventies saw the arrival of the third generation of the Meikle family. Duncan and Andrew joined the firm both having been away to college to obtain management qualifications.
In 1975 a Valtone branch was established in North Devon with the purchase of an existing business in Westward Ho! Later this branch moved to premises in Barnstaple.
The eighties saw the acquisition by Valtone of several local 'Paint Factor' competitors in order to tighten its control of its markets. At Taunton the retail shop continued to expand and in 1986 the new look ' One-Stop Auto store ' was launched.
In 1988 the combined turnover of all three companies was a little over £4.5 million and growing steadily.
The late eighties saw continuing changes and harder trading conditions in the company’s traditional markets. To streamline both company's administration and management structures it was decided to merge Hickley's and Valtone and form a new single Company. The merger took place on 1st May 1989 and Hickley Valtone Ltd was born.
1993 saw further expansion of the Company with the opening of two new Refinish Branches. In May a branch was opened in Bristol and then in August a second was opened in Bodmin, Cornwall. After a slowish start both built up a significant level of sales pushing the total Company turnover up to the magic £5 Million mark.
Early in 1995, the opportunity arose to purchase the business of a competitor in the refinish market, based in Exeter. In April 1995, the purchase took place, and Exeter became our 7th branch, giving Hickley Valtone complete geographical coverage of the South West of England. In 1996 the Cornwall branch moved from Bodmin to St Columb.
Late in 1996, the opportunity arose to purchase a DuPont Paint Distributor with branches in Bristol and Cardiff. The purchase took place on 1st December 1996. Hickley Valtone now had its first branch in another country! The total turnover of the Company had reached £6M p.a. and we employed over 100 staff.
Also in 1996 Hickley Valtone achieved the ‘Investors in People’ award. This demonstrated the Company’s commitment to the training and developing of staff to achieve its business objectives. During 1997 the Company turnover continued to rise and the financial year closed with sales in excess of £7M.
1998 saw yet more change for the Company. During the month of October we took over the business of another competitor in Cardiff called Hill & Co. Ltd. Hill & Co were the Glasurit and PPG distributors for Cardiff and their stocks, staff and vehicles were transferred to our own Cardiff branch.
By the end of 2000 sales had reached over £8.5 million per year.
In 2001 a new Health & Hygiene business division was set up aimed at selling a range of products to the Care Home Industry. This was a significant departure from the company’s motor trade roots but in line with the policy of diversification into new specialist market areas.
In 2006 property rental costs in Bristol persuaded the Company to leave its Bristol premises and service the area from the Bridgwater branch.
Also in 2006 the Company expanded its Healthcare and Mobility Division with the enlargement of its trading area to include South Devon and the opening of a retail store at the Taunton branch.
Highly sophisticated engine management systems and the latest common-rail diesel technology have presented an ongoing challenge to our Technical Workshop Division. Much investment has been made in new equipment and training to ensure that our technicians are able to offer a highly skilled professional service to both trade and retail customers.
Advances in vehicle technology were also behind the creation of another new specialist sector of the Company. The Diagnostic Division, now nationally recognised, emerged from the company’s close connection with vehicle electrics and electronics combined with its involvement in the garage equipment market. Nearly every fault on a modern vehicle requires electronic diagnostic equipment to identify and rectify the problem. Hickley Valtone can supply all types of vehicle diagnostic equipment including engine diagnostic testers, exhaust gas analysers, air- conditioning testers, key-coding equipment and much more. The full range of Bosch and Technotest diagnostic equipment is available. Expert advice, demonstration and after-sales support are an essential part of our professional service. The Company is the sole UK distributor for Advanced Diagnostics key-coding devices, the Carman Scan range of hand-held diagnostic testers and the Smoke-Pro range of leak detectors. Training programmes can be provided for the end-user on modern vehicle electronic systems and the use of diagnostic equipment.
By 2007 the Company employed over 100 staff and sales turnover was almost £10 million per year.
In early 2008 the Directors made the decision to move out of the Refinish market. For some years trading conditions had become increasingly difficult with a falling number of bodyshop customers and increasing levels of competition. On March 28th 2008 the Refinish Division of the business together with the name Hickley Valtone were sold to a Leicester-based company, Hex Holdings Ltd. Hex took over the refinish staff, stock, and vehicles.
The other Divisions of the Company: Automotive Parts, Garage Equipment, Diagnostics, Technical Workshops and Health and Mobility were moved into a new Company trading under the name of Hickley Ltd. The Directors explained that they felt there were excellent opportunities for strong growth and profitability in these remaining Divisions. Hickleys Ltd will operate out of just two locations – Taunton and Bridgwater.
