This year Jack Pennington Ltd is celebrating it’s 35th anniversary. Thirty five years is quite an achievement and we are very proud of the business we have developed through the hard work and commitment of all our employees, past and present.
When a vibrant, successful, 55 year old nut and bolt salesman found himself in a dilemma, should he see out his career with the World’s largest manufacturer and distributor of fasteners that offered job security albeit with a tough regime of red tape and tiresome politics or try something different. Fortunately Jack Pennington took the second option and left to set up a small nut and bolt stockists with his son Keith. Over the last thirty five years the company has been transformed, it can now claim to be one of the UK’s largest independent specialist distributors to the building services industry, with an enviable reputation and often considered as a benchmark for its competitors.
The company still manages to balance the values of a traditional family company and its desire to grow and operate as a highly professional organisation. It’s not just the fact that some of Jack’s grandchildren are now working for the company that makes it a family business. There are many other examples where members of the same family work within the company, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers & sisters.
Although nuts and bolts still play pivotal role in the product range they have now been dwarfed by the company’s expansion into electrical, mechanical and tooling, Pennington’s are now regarded as a ‘supermarket’ to electrical and mechanical contractors, servicing companies up to the largest national multi branch contractors where ever they are based within the UK. Jack started the company with a philosophy of providing quality products when the customer required them at a fair price, this continues to be the basis of how the company operates, it’s just the customers now want everything tomorrow, in the morning if possible! To that end the company operates 10 vehicles from its distribution centre near the centre of Shipley, these along with carriers and local hauliers help satisfy the level of service the customers now demand.
The company considers its 55 employees to be its biggest asset and with some of the most experienced and dedicated people in the trade the wealth of knowledge the company possesses is a major contributor to its success. As well as developing experience within the business the company encourages development through external training at all levels, with current employees having gained NVQ Level 2 through to post graduate qualifications, including an MBA, with the support of the company. Qualifications currently being studied for include, CIPS, HNC in Business & Finance and senior managers making use of Bradford University School of Management Manager’s Toolkit series of short courses.
Using its experience of previous recessions and downturns, Jack Pennington Ltd believes there is plenty of opportunity for growth, continually building its customer’s and product range, even during these difficult times. It continues to invest in stock, staff and has recently completed a complete refurbishment of the company’s offices, showing continued commitment to the future.
Independence is something the company greatly values, allowing it to be receptive to changes in customer demands and providing customers with greater choice in a continually consolidating industry.
