POOLE based joinery and kitchen company, Haroys Limited are delighted to announce the acquisition of K J Howells and Son, based at Cobbs Quay in Poole.
As a father and son partnership, Howells have been providing bespoke carpentry services and supplying fine quality teak products to the yachting and marine community since 1987.
When founder Ken Howells decided to retire after fifty years in the trade, the opportunity to buy the company represented an ideal opportunity for Haroys to expand their product and customer base, whilst ensuring that the skills of a master marine craftsman are not lost.
Haroys’ management team is made up of six entrepreneurial directors, who met through their love of rugby at a local rugby club, who between them have extensive knowledge in a range of commercial and professional skills.
The directors decided to use their business acumen to identify investment opportunities in like-minded, specialist companies seeking a buyer. Their criteria is that the companies must specialise in producing fine quality products, employ home-grown craftsmen and predominantly provide services to this local area. Their first acquisition was Haroys which was established in 1976. A Poole based manufacturer of fine quality joinery, kitchens, windows, staircases and solid wood furniture, the company specialises in manufacturing a wide range of quality products which are handmade by master craftsmen from superb quality solid woods, locally supplied from certified sustainable sources.
Peter Simpson, Director at Haroys said: “We are delighted with this acquisition and have brought in Rupert Jessett as the new manager for K J Howells and Son.
“Rupert has been a professional yacht skipper for the last 25 years and has a deep personal knowledge of yacht refitting, deck fitting and maintenance and has been based in Poole for the last 15 years.
“We have our craftsmen from Haroys visiting the Howells’ site to enable them to learn the intricacies of working with teak and the specific requirements of the marine industry.
“We are very much looking forward to next year and the future is looking very bright for Haroys and our new addition, K J Howells.”
Haroys are committed to the community, not only by sourcing raw materials from local suppliers, but by also running an active apprenticeship programme to ensure that the specialist skills of their workforce are passed on to the current and future generations, to bridge the current situation nationally of not enough skilled workers.
The skill sets and products of both companies are harmonious, as are their commitments to the future environment and to the preservation and the ethical development of superb quality craftmanship.
Working together they will continue to supply Poole, Dorset and the UK with fine quality joinery, bespoke kitchens and marine supplies.
