Engineering and services company Lister has expanded its Redditch presence after outgrowing its existing site in the town.
The business is organised into four main activities – listersupplies, listerfluidpower, listertube and listersubcontract.
Expansion of the tube side over the past six months meant its operations out of 21 Bartleet Street on Washford Industrial Estate were in danger of over-spilling capacity and the decision was made to switch the industrial supplies arm there into new facilities, taking 3,812 sq ft of extra factory/warehouse space at nearby 84 Heming Road, adding a small number of additional jobs to the 150-strong workforce.
Redditch property agents John Truslove helped put the deal together.
Ray Bessell, General Manager of Lister, which has its headquarters and national distribution centre at Sandwell Industrial Estate in Spon Lane, Smethwick, said: “Additional business meant more machinery and so we had to do something.
“Five of the team are now based at Heming Road including an additional warehouse person and we have taken on six more people at Bartleet Street.”
Ben Truslove, a director of John Truslove, said: “Lister is a great example of a family business, building a modern and go-ahead concern on the foundations of a long and proud heritage.
“Redditch has many manufacturing and service companies and this move by Lister on the popular Washford estate is another example of how vital the sector is to the town and how the town embraces the needs of the sector. Every new job counts.”
James Lister and Sons Limited, which has agreed a three year lease on 84 Heming Road, was established more than 140 years ago in Tipton when in 1874 local schoolteacher, James Lister, established a hardware and ironmongery shop.
The company still provides various types of hardware, industrial, janitorial and fluid power supplies to a large customer base, primarily in the Midlands and South Wales. It remains family owned with three of the four owner/directors, Tim, Richard and Mike Cotterill, being the great great grandsons of James Lister.
Product ranges cover everything from hydraulic and pneumatic components and services, ultra high pressure valves, engineering supplies such as cutting tools, abrasives, hand tools, lubricants, through to workwear, janitorial products, office supplies, cleaning machines and motorsport components.
The business runs a fleet of more than 30 delivery and response vehicles.
There are branches at Smethwick, Willenhall, Redditch, Telford, Aston, Great Bridge and Abergavenny.
Many clients have been with the company as far back as their records go, but, with a major focus on “being easy to do business with”, Lister is attracting significant numbers of new customers too.
“They appreciate the caring family approach re-enforced by the professionalism and reliability that working to modern standards brings,” said Mr Bessell.
“We pride ourselves on our customer service ethic, placing our customers’ needs above all else. With a strong corporate social responsibility ethos, we constantly reinvest in the business.”
