On the 25th March 2016 AJ Hurst will have been serving the electrical industry throughout the UK & Ireland for 80 years.
Great service, quality products, competitive pricing - every company uses the same adjectives to describe its success yet few can genuinely follow through on these promises. AJ Hurst is one of those few and, as the company celebrates 80 years in business, it continues to strive for perfection.
The company recently unveiled a new look that includes the streamline ‘Powering progress’ and these two words perfectly sum up the ethos of AJ Hurst. The company has developed strong relationships with the world’s leading suppliers in lighting, communication and power system equipment, meaning customers benefit from the latest innovative technology. This forward-thinking attitude permeates the experienced AJ Hurst team, with staff always keen to build on an already extensive product portfolio and keep themselves ahead of the competition.
This drive and passion is normally seen in companies working to establish themselves, not in the case of AJ Hurst which has been in business for over eight decades. But it is an ethos that comes from a company history that has seen AJ Hurst overcome adversity time and time again. The sudden death of original founder Alfred J Hurst almost saw the company fold before it was taken over by Geoffrey Goldsbrough who ensured its initial survival and early growth. His son, also named Geoffrey, then overcame the negative effects of the Troubles, the collapse of major customer DeLorean and a move to Newtownards, before a move to the newly established enterprise zone at Duncrue brought some much-needed stability.
Now the third generation of the Goldsbrough family - Managing Director, Lisa Kitchen, and Sales Director, Mark Goldsbrough – continue to demonstrate the company’s inner strength and, more importantly, a progressive attitude.“We are not a company that ever rests on its laurels,” explained Lisa Kitchen, Managing Director. “With such a strong core of customers who have worked with us for 10, 20, 30 and even 40 years, it would be easy to take this for granted. But we realise that now, more than ever, you have to work extremely hard to keep your customers happy and to stay ahead.
” Mark Goldsbrough, Sales Director,agrees, “A commitment to research and development by the manufacturers we work with is something we feel is vitally important. We are always looking for a new way of doing things. We enjoy learning about new products and explaining these benefits to our customers.” The urge to focus solely on price regardless of quality is an issue that AJ Hurst constantly faces up to, particularly given the regular influx of cheaper products into the marketplace. “We have always held rm to our principles of only working with manufacturers of the highest quality,” added Mark. “That started with Schneider in 1970, and we remain one of their longest-serving distributors in the UK and Ireland. The same can be said for Lutron, Phoenix Contact UK and Static Systems. By working with established companies, we can offer reliability.” Lisa added, “We are always looking to expand our range but we won’t add a new product just for the sake of it. It has to complement our current range and add something significant.
”Looking ahead, maintaining the same level of service remains a priority, while building on recent successes in the GB market and an eye on expansion into the Republic of Ireland are also on the agenda. The continuation of the company’s progressive attitude is probably the best way to celebrate such a significant anniversary!
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