From humble beginnings to a global reach and state-of-the-art facilities - Blackrow Group turns 40

WITH its blue-chip clientele and global reach, Blackrow Group is every inch a modern business success story. A multi-million-pound turnover and with 200-plus staff - who serve a plethora of companies and sectors - is certainly worth shouting about, that isn’t the only reason Blackrow Group is remarkable.

This is a company that has not only survived, but thrived for more than 40 years. And it is home-grown in Grimsby from the most humble of beginnings.

“Blackrow was started in 1979 by three partners who used a garage in Holles Street,” explained director Jim Leahy, who joined in 1980 when it was incorporated, making him the longest serving person at the firm. “It was a very small lean-to but we achieved a lot there. We even made things in the yard area.”

It wasn’t long before the company was on the move, first to Armstrong

Street, extending those premises and then to South Humberside Industrial Estate.

Blackrow Group had big ambitions and big plans and today boasts multiple departments and divisions within the business, including sheet metal, heavy fabrication and pipework workshops, machining division, electrical department, bead blasting services and laser cutting division complemented by an extensive design office, contracts team, HSE department and large warehouse and stores facility.

The company has grown enormously and spread its wings worldwide. Blackrow first started off with sheet metal workers in a small but very profitable field. But when it moved into bigger premises it was able to take on larger projects and get other sectors into the business. They took a step change by moving forward taking on the full turn-key projects, which are mainly with blue chip companies.

Today with six directors, Neil Ellis, Glenn Ritchie, Chris Marfleet, Darren Broughton, Tony Booker and Ben Tiffney, Blackrow Group - while still predominantly UK based - boasts projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Russia, Turkey, Italy and even Australia. The company has workshops in Chichester and Royston to service regional areas in the UK.

And it serves sectors as diverse as defence, power generation and utilities, pharmaceutical, petrochemical engineering, with food the predominant industry. Historically, much of Blackrow’s growth has been generated through word of mouth, as the company has gained an enviable reputation across the business world for its in-house facility and site installation works, creating an unparalleled breadth of products and skills.

As the times are changing, however, the organisation has now decided to design an extensive marketing strategy. Advancing it, Blackrow has formed a dedicated sales and marketing team, which spends a lot of time and effort utilising social media and applying efficient digital marketing principles to engage with existing and prospective customers alike.

So what is the secret of Blackrow Group’s longevity and success? “Two things - our people and their quality” said Blackrow’s directors. “Naturally our clients are in need of quick turn-arounds on the work we carry out, whether it be a large scale project or a small breakdown. Reactiveness is key to pretty much everything we are involved with, to cope with the tight deadlines our customers need and expect. “We very much believe in homegrown talent and have a substantial apprentice programme, with a large intake of apprentices of varying trades year after year.”

For more information visit www. blackrow.co.uk.