As it celebrates its 40th anniversary year, Henshaws Roofing & Building Supplies can proudly look back on four decades of operation, with the Greater Manchester-based company having successfully overcome some challenging periods since its creation in 1985. Now under the stewardship of owner and Managing Director, Adrian Shelley, who has been at the helm for the past six years, the company continues to ride the waves and keep a steady course.
This resilience was certainly evident last year, when the marketplace slowed, as companies of all shapes and sizes hesitated to see how the change in government would affect the wider picture, as Mr Shelley outlines: “It was a funny 12 months, and the first half of the year was particularly taxing, as underlined by the BMF’s statistics. Thankfully the second half of the year was much better, to the extent that we bucked the wider downward trend by finishing 2024 with really strong annual sales. We were even able to reinvest, refurbishing our Rochdale branch and adding two new trucks to our fleet.”
This ability to prevail during even the most difficult times has been a hallmark of Henshaws since the very beginning, when it was established by George and Kathryn Henshaw, with the foundations having been put in place to support its subsequent progression.
“Most of the credit has to go to George Henshaw, as he was the owner-occupier for 33 years before I acquired the business and became Managing Director,” Mr Shelley modestly explains. “George was very hands on from the very start and was involved in all aspects of the company’s operation. I’m still hands on to a level, but as the business has grown, we’ve developed the branch teams so that I’m able to concentrate my focus on the wider business, working on the business as well as in the business.”
This approach continues to pay dividends for Henshaws, proving that the company has remained in safe hands ever since the change in ownership. This is highlighted by the success of some of the most significant developments within the business in recent years, such as the opening of a Rochdale branch in 2021. This branch has matured very quickly, and the scale and turnover of the branch is much bigger than I originally anticipated. Hopefully, we are well placed for further growth, especially as we’re much more confident about the state of the market in 2025 after the challenges of last year.
“The other big-ticket development we’ve been involved in recently was the acquisition of PRP, a specialist building plastics company, towards the end of 2023. The business was bedded into our overall operation throughout last year, with the IT systems being synchronised with the rest of the Henshaw operation. It’s now well positioned to make the most of the expected market upturn. The government are making the right noises in terms of meeting the housing demand, so it’s now a case of waiting to see if they deliver on their promises.”
For its part, as would be expected of a company that has four decades of operation in its locker, Henshaws is not unduly concerned with external factors, preferring to instead focus on what it can control. “There will always be peaks and troughs, so we concentrate on developing our people and systems to keep delivering the level of service our customers expect. Whether the market is buoyant or not, if we continue to provide a strong service and reliable stock availability, all the while improving where we can, then we will continue to progress.”
Evidence of the strength of Henshaws’ service has been its collection operation, which proved particularly popular in 2024 due to the added convenience it offers. This led to growth of 20% and 18% at its Manchester and Rochdale branches respectively on collected sales. An emphasis on staff training ensured that the company was able to make the most of the increased demand for such a service. Efficient data-collecting systems also proved invaluable in keeping the service to a high standard, resulting in excellent levels of repeat business.
With all the hard work that continues to be put into Henshaws’ ongoing development, it’s only right and proper that the company is taking the time to celebrate its landmark anniversary this year. “We’ve got quite a bit planned, including a large party in July for the original owners, all our staff and their partners,” says Mr Shelley. “We’re also working on a rewards programme for our customers. This will feature a variety of prestigious prizes, such as tickets to Manchester United and Manchester City football matches and a customer competition where the winners will attend the Singapore Grand Prix. We’re planning for the celebrations to last all month!”
And quite right too, given how far the business has come since 1985. That said, there’s no danger of Henshaws becoming in the least bit complacent, as plans are already afoot for the next chapter in its development.
“We have definite aspirations to add another branch in the short to medium term, while we’re also keen to keep building the momentum of our new e-commerce site. It launched in November of last year and really has hit the ground running, with sales coming in every day. It’s been so successful that we’re very much treating it as a branch in its own right, even if technically it is only virtual. We’re fully committed to maximising the promising start it has made, particularly with optimism returning to the marketplace and our general growth prospects looking increasingly positive.
“Again, training for our staff will be integral to our future strategy and we will continue to support our employees in gaining their relevant qualifications and diplomas with the help of the BMF. In addition to mandatory training, we also put our drivers through their CPCs and our forklift truck drivers through health and safety refresher courses, even though we’re under no obligation to do so.”
As well as going above and beyond from a training perspective, another key factor behind Henshaws’ ongoing success has been the strong relationships it continues to build with its suppliers. “Our supply chain plays a massive role in our operation and we’re just coming up to our second anniversary of joining the National Buying Group,” highlights Mr Shelley. “They not only met our expectations but exceeded them.
“Moving forward, the aim is to further strengthen our supplier relationships, while retaining the excellent team of people we have within the business. We will keep investing in their development, in order to remain in a position to deliver the level of service our customers expect.”
With such a progressive and forward-thinking ethos, it is little wonder that Henshaws has not only reached its 40th anniversary year but continues to go from strength-to-strength as a business. Next stop: 50 years!