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Our Heritage
The Tudor Griffiths Group is one of the UK's leading independent businesses in the supply of construction materials and building supplies, ready-mixed concrete, skip hire, electrical services, waste management, recycling and renewable energy.
After more than 150 years it is still owned and managed by the Griffiths Family who live near Oswestry, in North Shropshire. The current Chairman is Mr W M (Billy) Griffiths and the Managing Director is his son, Tudor Griffiths, who is named after Billy's father, who died in 1977.
The start of it all... The involvement of the Tudor Griffiths Group with the building industry dates back to the second half of the 19th century, to a time when parliament was dominated by
Gladstone and Disraeli and the British Empire controlled much of the land area of the world. In the countryside, steam-powered traction engines were beginning to appear, causing the work force to move into towns and cities.
In the village of Knockin, near Oswestry a family called Griffiths ran a grocery shop. At the age of 25, William Griffiths decided that he would set himself up as a builder working for local farms and estate owners.
The year was 1874, William established his business in nearby Kinnerley, where he started his own brickyard making bricks and drainage pipes.
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1879William won contract to build the United Reform Church at Dovaston. -
1881Awarded contract to build the Baptist Chapel in Newtown. The main chapel seated 1,100 people and in addition there were 12 classrooms and a large hall. Excluding cathedrals it is still considered to be the largest ecclesiastical building in Wales.
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1884William Henry Griffiths born, son of William Griffiths.
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1890William Griffiths moved his business to Ellesmere and transferred his brick making activities to Elson, the site of the present day ETC Sawmills.
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1906The minutes of the Trustees of Ellesmere Methodist Church record that the contract for a new chapel was awarded to W Griffiths & Sons at a price of £1,493 17s 10d, plus an additional £70 for the cost of the wood floors. -
1907William Henry Griffiths, son of William Griffiths emigrated to Calgary, Canada, where he formed his own construction business.
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1915William Henry Griffiths came back from Canada and started a new building business in Ellesmere with his brothers Tom and Fred, called Griffiths Bros. The business was based alongside the former Smithfield, behind Brownlow Road.
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1918Tudor Griffiths Snr was born, son of William Henry Griffiths.
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1927William Griffiths Died. -
1930William Henry Griffiths moved to Aston Farm and imported some of the first Canadian Holstein cattle into the UK.
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1932William Henry’s son Tudor Griffiths started as an apprentice bricklayer with Griffiths Bros.
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1935William Henry acquired lease of the Sand & Gravel pit at Wood Lane and the pit was mechanised initially with steam engines to increase production.
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1939With the threat of war output from Wood Lane reached 1,000 tons per day to supply sand & gravel for the building of army camps, ammunition dumps and airfields. -
1941William Michael (Billy) Griffiths, son of Tudor Griffiths, was born.
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1946Tudor Griffiths started a plant hire business to provide machines to assist in the post war rebuilding programme.
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1956William Henry handed over the running of Wood Lane to Tudor Griffiths. Tudor's son Billy left school and joined the company at this time.
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1960A Concrete Plant, supplied by Road Machines, was erected by quarry staff at Wood Lane, at that time it was the most westerly concrete plant in the Midlands and served all Mid and North Wales. -
1962Major investment programme undertaken to modernise and automate the sand & gravel production process. This modernisation took nearly two years to complete.
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1964Supplied sand & gravel to the construction of the Clywedog Dam at Llanidloes, at that time it was the largest mass concrete dam in Britain. -
1966The 800 acre Frankton Estate near Ellesmere was purchased.
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1968Tudor Griffiths, son of Billy Griffiths was born.
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1968Ellesmere Agricultural Supply Co was purchased as first builders merchants business.
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1970Waste Skip Hire business established.
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1973Concrete Plant at Black Park Road, Whitchurch was opened.
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1977Tattenhall Brick & Pipe Company, near Chester was purchased and became the site for second builders merchants. Also Concrete Plant opened at Welshpool trading under the Powys Concrete banner. -
1977Tudor Griffiths Senior passed away.
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1981Endangered breed of Lleyn sheep taken up by W M Griffiths Farms. -
1981Concrete Plant opened at Oswestry.
Started a fuel distribution business, which became known as Swan Petroleum.
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1982Cim Farm at Abersoch & Hisland Farm, near Oswestry purchased -
1982Third builders merchants depot opened at Northwich
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1983Waste Transfer Station opened at Tattenhall -
1983Holiday apartments and touring caravan site established at Cim Farm
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1985TG Paintspraying Services was established. One of the first contracts was to repaint 100 cement tankers for Tunnel Cement on its change of name to Castle Cement. -
1985Joy Griffiths established a fold of Highland Cattle.
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1988All the builders merchants started to trade as TG Builders Merchants and TG Group Brand launched. -
1990Fourth Branch of TG Builders Merchants opened in Oswestry along with a Waste Transfer Station.
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1990Nantwich Building Supplies was acquired and became the 5th TG Builders Merchants branch.
Equity interest acquired in Porthmadog Concrete.
Sand & Gravel pre-pack plant installed at Wood Lane. -
1994Concrete Plant on the Prees Industrial Estate purchased from Tarmac, to replace Plant at Whitchurch.
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1995Further touring caravan site acquired in Abersoch, now known as Trem y Mor (View of the Sea). -
2000Acquired the BP fuel distribution business and depot at Babbinswood, near Oswestry.
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2000TG Builders Merchants branch opened in Welshpool. -
2006Acquisition of Cefn Graianog Quarry, near Caernarfon and Port Penrhyn Sea Dredged Sand Merchanting Business at Bangor on the Menai Straits.
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2007Dream Patios Brand launched by TG Builders Merchants initially at Northwich. -
2009TG Waste Services upgraded recycling facilities with the construction of the Materials Recycling Facility at Wood Lane.
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2011Swan Petroleum sold to NWF.
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2012TG Electrical Services was launched.
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20134 Concrete Plants purchased from Cemex located at Aberystwth, Bangor, Newtown & Wrexham, which meant that TG Concrete now able to offer the supply of concrete from 12 Concrete Plants spread across North & Mid Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire. -
2013Hardwicks Landscape Centre at Wolverley, near Kidderminster acquired, to create 7th TG Builders Merchants branch.
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2016TG Builders Merchants open their 8th branch on a six-acre site at Chartwell Park, Bridgnorth. -
2016TG Concrete launch TG AgriCrete, a range of ready-mixed concrete products designed specifically for the farming industry. They also unveil their unique 'Moo mixer' concrete truck, in a pledge of solidarity with local dairy farmers.
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2017The TG Dream Kitchens & Bathrooms’ showroom has been unveiled at TG Builders’ Merchants, in Oswestry, with over 20 full-sized kitchen and bathroom displays in the 220 sq m store. -
2017TG Builders Merchants opened the “TG Doors, Windows & Floors” showroom at their premises in Maesbury Road, Oswestry.
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2017TG Concrete launched TG Cemfloor, a liquid self-levelling floor screed. -
2017TG Renewable Energy was launched, with the opening of a new 3,000sq m. Biomass plant and drying facility at Wood Lane, Ellesmere.
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2018TG Dream Kitchens & Bathrooms opened its second showroom at the TG Builders Merchants in Northwich. -
2018TG Concrete unveiled a new self-compacting concrete product.
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2019TG Concrete acquired a plant from Hanson at Cemmaes Road, near Machynlleth. -
2019TG Concrete win the prestigious UK industry “Golden Trowel” trophy for their work on the innovative polished coloured concrete floor at Hencote Vineyard Estate.
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2019TG Dream Kitchens & Bathrooms win the “Kitchen and Bathroom Showroom of the Year” title in the 2019 Builders’ Merchants Awards. -
2019TG Dream Kitchens & Bathrooms opens its third showroom at the TG Builders Merchants in Bridgnorth, with six full-sized kitchen displays and ten full-sized bathroom displays over two floors.
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2020TG Doors, Windows & Floors opens a new showroom in Bridgnorth. -
2020TG Concrete open their 14th concrete plant, a brand new plant at Bridgnorth.
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2021TG Concrete acquired Porthmadog Concrete Ltd with two plant at Porthmadog and Pwllheli. -
2022TG Builders Merchants open TG Doors, Windows & Floors’ Showrooms at each branch
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2023Sixth Generation! Harry & Oliver join the Tudor Griffiths Group family business -
2024TG Group Celebrates 150 Years of Building Legacy
Constantly at the forefront of innovation and technical development...
When William Griffiths ventured on his own as a builder in 1874, he could have hardly imagined that the business he was starting-up would be trading over 150 years later, employing more than 300.
Today the Group consists of three principal trading divisions:
> Concrete & Aggregates
> Builders Merchants
> Enviro (which incorporates Skip Hire, Recycling and Renewable Energy)
In addition, there are a number of other trading operations including; Electrical Services, Doors, Windows & Floors, Kitchens & Bathrooms, Farming & Land Management.
These businesses trade out of 30 different premises, supplying an area which covers around 10,000sq miles, across North and Mid Wales, the West Midlands and the North West.
Over the generations it is evident that the Griffiths family has always endeavoured to be in the forefront of innovation and technical development. This has very much been the continuing ethos of Billy Griffiths' son Tudor, now Managing Director, who came back to Shropshire in 1988, after a spell working for an international aggregates and concrete company.
As the business reflects on its heritage, Tudor Griffiths is more aware than ever of the need to continually improve and enhance the operations of the business, so that future generations of his family will be able to maintain THE TUDOR GRIFFITHS GROUP as MARKET LEADERS for the long term.
'The current three generations of the Griffiths family, with the TV star Michelle Collins, all playing their part in celebrating the 140 year anniversary.'
'Tudor Griffiths, speaking at an Open Day at TG Builders Merchants, Oswestry in May 2013.'
Fund raising success for TG Group
Shropshire barns restored as luxury country homes
Dulux 7L Paint
Save £££s on the latest Builders Merchants Sale!!! Pop-in and check it out yourselves!
Rodo 5 Paintbrush Set
Save £££s on the latest Builders Merchants Sale!!! Pop-in and check it out yourselves!
Pavestone Natural Tudor Blend Sandstone
Save £££s on the latest Builders Merchants Sale!!! Pop-in and check it out yourselves!
BS Eaton 50ml Tumble Pavers
Save £££s on the latest Builders Merchants Sale!!! Pop-in and check it out yourselves!