Readyfix at 30: Built on strong family foundations

It may have started life at the bottom of the garden, but Readyfix’s approach to business has never been a secret.

Richard Burwood founded the firm in 1992, setting up in a garden shed at the family home in Preston with the aim of creating a legacy to provide a secure future for his six children.

Readyfix soon moved from the garden shed to its first premises on St Mary’s Street in Preston. As the business evolved and continued to grow, it moved again to larger premises on Lodge Street, and then again to Croft Street, not far from the city centre, where it is based today.

Today the business has a 36-strong workforce, a turnover heading towards the £10m mark and a reputation for reliability that has been built up over those three decades.

Readyfix works to support the construction industry, supplying a huge range of consumables and site equipment. With a warehouse expansion in 2018 it has more than one million items in stock.

Those products, delivered to contractors and sub-contractors in all trades, range from fixings and groundworking tools to safety and welfare equipment, PPE and workwear and building products. The business is also a site safety specialist.

As Richard explains: “We’re part of every site journey, from the first dig, through to the close out of the project.”

Today Readyfix is owned and run by the next generation of Burwoods – Richard’s sons Greig, who is managing director, and his fellow directors Kevin, Edward, Tom and Mark.

Their father is still very much involved in what he calls “a support role”. Two of Richard’s grandchildren also now work in the business.

Over the years, as they have been in the business all their working lives, the brothers have all been delivery drivers, warehouse pickers and collection counter assistants at some point.

Greig, who was nominated by his brothers to take over the managing director role, enjoys working alongside them as a team and believes the family feel of the business acts to its advantage. He says: “We are respectful and friendly and have that family culture.”

He adds: “Also, as we’ve grown, we’ve never lost sight of our purpose, which is to continue supporting the construction industry. Understanding, response, and reliability are key to the way we operate.

“As the business has expanded, we’ve kept many of the original team, which means we have also retained years of experience and vast product knowledge in construction supplies, so we can best help our customers.

“We’ve got brilliant relationships with the large construction companies in the North West and we work with some of the biggest names in the UK.

“It’s really important to build and develop those relationship. Service is 100 per cent the most important factor when it comes to our customers. Understanding what they need and delivering it on time.”

He points to Readyfix’s same day ‘on-site, on time’ commitment to customers with sites in Manchester within the M60 circle and its nationwide next day delivery. Its team also respond to all quotes and enquiries within a 30-minute timeframe.

Greig says: “Our customers know our team personally. They are not just a number when they call, and don’t get passed around, they’re through to someone who can help them. The way we respond to people helps us to win and to keep business, it’s a simple approach.”

Looking ahead to the next 30 years, he sees Readyfix remaining a strong family business and he aspires to increase its market share and its geographical coverage.

The business would like to expand the same day delivery it offers to sites in the Manchester M60 corridor and Preston areas, through its own vans and drivers, to areas outside the North West.

Looking back over the last three decades, his father Richard recalls how the support of local businesses was vital in the early days, with many of them still valuable customers today.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, it presented weeping cherry trees to 30 of its oldest clients, marking how they have grown together over the three decades since the business began.

Some of its colleagues have been with the business for decades. Finance manager Jeanette Cookson joined as its first every employee in 2004. She says: “We all feel part of the family. There’s a real community feel to the business and during my time here I’ve always been encouraged to put my family first.”

As founder Richard explains the business was built for family. He says: “The aim was simply to create something for the lads and this is what has evolved, although I didn’t expect it to be as big as this.

“I worked in car body repairs, and the trade was getting harder, so I was looking for something else. Someone suggested selling fixings, so I looked into it and off we went, starting from the garden shed.

“I still enjoy coming in and working in a supporting role and I’m extremely proud of what we have created here.

“It’s been challenging at times, but the lads have made it work. We are still evolving. It’s not always been easy, but they have worked together and pulled together. That’s made the business what it is today.”

Timeline

1992: The garden shed

The Garden Shed Richard Burwood started Readyfix from a garden shed at the family home with a vision of leaving a legacy that would provide a secure future for his six children.

2000

Thanks to the support of local businesses such as John Turner Construction Group, Edward Dewhurst, The James Mercer Group and Ashton Joinery, Readyfix soon went from the garden shed to its first premises on St Mary’s Street. The warehouse begins to expand.

2007: Lodge Street

A move to bigger premises. As the business evolved and continued to grow, we moved to larger premises on Lodge Street to accommodate our expanding team and lines of stock.

2017: Croft Street

We moved to our current premises on Croft Street to fit the size of the company that we have become. We’re proud to be now owned and run by the next generation of Burwoods and Richard is still very much a valued part of Readyfix.