Issues 298 Business and Trade - page 23

ISSUES
: Business and Trade
Chapter 1: Business today
17
Top 20: Britain’s oldest family
businesses
The oldest 20 family firms in the UK have collectively traded for 7,013 years, and
traded on average for 350 years each, according to new data compiled by the UK’s
Family Business United
.
W
hitechapel Bell Foundry
in London is the oldest
family firm in the country,
dating back to 1420, having been
owned by two families since it
was founded all those years ago.
Nevertheless, the firm remains
family owned today and is
celebrating 595 years as a family
business this year.
Furthermore, RJ Balson and Son
Ltd, the butchers in Bridport which
is currently owned and run by the
26th generation of the founding
family, is celebrating 500 years as
a family business, dating back to
1515 when Henry VIII was the King
of England.
Richard Balson, the current butcher
behind the block, is very proud of his
heritage, saying: “Too many family
businesses fail to successfully pass
from generation to generation so
we have been fortunate to do so.
Although we are the oldest direct
lineage family business in the UK,
it is more important to strive to be
the best at what you do, and for us
at Balsons it is all about the product
and the service that we offer to
our customers, many of whom
represent families that have also
been customers for generations
too.”
“It is all about the here and now
and planning to succeed. We
obviously have a long history but
every generation needs to build
on what has been handed down
to them and, more importantly, be
prepared for long hours and plenty
of hard work which will result in the
opportunity to reap the rewards of
being your own boss and in control
of your own destiny,” adds Richard.
This year also sees Scotland’s
oldest family firm celebrate a major
milestone, marking 300 years since
blacksmith John White began
the manufacture of a beam end
scale. The eighth generation is
now running the business, which
continues to evolve over time, with
Edwin White and wife Tio at the
helm.
As Edwin explains, “We will carry
on at the front of technology,
developing products and looking
for new markets, and over time
we have had to balance tradition
with innovation and embrace new
technologies.”
Edwin added, “It’s hard to believe
that a firm can go on for 300
years. It has played a very big
part in community life but we are
delighted to have stood the test
of time, evolved into the business
that we are today and proud to
be celebrating our tercentenary in
2015.”
Founded by Paul Andrews back
in 2011,
Family Business United
is
the UK’s leading online magazine
and resource centre for the family
business sector and continues to
champion the cause for the sector,
helping to dispel some of the myths
surrounding the sector.
Clearly, the firms in the top 20
dispel the myth that family firms
cannot span the generations, their
heritage is part of the fabric of
the firm but they are continually
evolving to meet the needs of
doing business in the 21st century,
include major employers, generate
significant revenues and make
significant contributions to their
local communities too.
As Andrews adds, “2015 is a
celebration for the family business
sector as a whole with the oldest
family firms in England and Scotland
alone sharing 800 years of family
business history. These firms are
the oldest but there are plenty more
great British family firms celebrating
their own milestones this year too.”
“Family firms are the very fabric
of what makes Britain ‘great’
and each and every one makes a
notable contribution, be it through
generation to GDP, employment,
tax contributions or philanthropic
endeavours and we are delighted to
celebrate their achievements and to
continue to promote the success of
the sector.”
The 20 oldest family
businesses in Britain
1.
Whitechapel Bell Foundry (1420
– London) Manufacturing bells
2.
RJ Balson and Son Ltd (1515 –
Bridport, Dorset) Butchers
3.
John Brooke & Sons Holdings
Ltd (1541 – Yorkshire) Property
4.
R. Durtnell & Sons Limited (1591
– Kent) Builders
5.
C. Hoare & Co. (1672 – London)
Bank
6.
Morning Foods (1675 – Crewe,
Cheshire) Miller
7.
James Lock & Co Ltd (1676 –
London) Milliners
8.
Toye & Co (1685 – Birmingham)
Regalia and Medals
9.
C.P.J. Field & Co. Ltd (1690 –
Sussex) Funeral Directors
10.
Folkes Group Plc (1697 –
Stourbridge, West Midlands)
Property
11.
Shepherd Neame Limited (1698
– Faversham, Kent) Brewery
12.
Berry Bros. & Rudd (1698
– London) Wine and Spirit
Merchant
13.
W. Austin and Sons Limited
(1700 – Hertfordshire) Funeral
directors
14.
Salts Healthcare Limited (1701
– Birmingham) HealthCare
Products
15.
Fortnum & Mason (1707 –
London) Department store
16.
Brakspear (1711 – Oxfordshire)
Public houses
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