Growing prospects for garden products business
HISTORIC family timber business Job Earnshaw and Bros said it was bucking the general gloom in the retail sector after enjoying a successful year.
The manufacturing and retailing business, which was founded in 1860 by Job Earnshaw, saw annual sales increase by £870,370 to £4.9m last year.
Headquartered in Wakefield, the company operates three Earnshaws Fencing Centres, displaying a range of timber garden furniture, timber garden buildings, outdoor heating and natural landscaping products.
The company’s recently redesigned centre at Wentworth, near Rotherham, saw year on year retail sales increase by 32%. Across the group, retail sales increased by 22%.
Earnshaws also runs an outlet in Brigg, Lincolnshire.
Neil Hargill, retail operations manager, said: “The Earnshaw name has always stood for high quality, natural timber gardening products and enjoys a loyal following.
“These results reflect our efforts to fine tune our range and get the message out to a new set of customers who are invariably pleased by what they see when they get here.”
Family member Daniel Earnshaw said the increased sales figures went against the market trends of reductions in non-food sales and an upturn in online sales.
Mr Earnshaw said: “We are delighted to note that people will travel some distance to shop in person as long as the experience is good when they arrive.
“We have exciting plans for 2012 including the development of a nature trail at the Midgley site near Wakefield with a café and alfresco area, showcasing many of our products.”
Having been established in the mid 19th century, Job Earnshaw and Bros originally produced parts for horse drawn carts, gates, fence posts and other items from a saw mill in Midgley.
The first Earnshaws Fencing Centre was launched in the 1980s, while the business moved to a new site to enable the modernisation of its sawmill operation in 1996.
