W.H. Halmshaw Ltd

W.H. Halmshaw Ltd describes itself as a plumbers’ merchant, but it is so much more than that. It offers plumbing and heating parts to full bathroom suites, as well as providing glass for everything from mirrors to greenhouses.

This year, 2013, marks its 40th anniversary, and 10 years since its Beverley showroom opened, something of which managing director Karl Beautiman is very proud, but is struggling to find the time to celebrate.

“It is a typical small business scenario,” he said. “We are busy doing what we do. We have a new website, new logo and new branding, but it is a huge amount of time that you have to find, in excess of what we do so well on a day-to-day basis.”

Nevertheless, Karl is delighted with how the business has progressed in the last 40 years.

“It is a great success,” he said. “We have always had a business in Beverley, but the old building was sold for redevelopment and we were able to relocate to a purpose-built site. We were able to get what we wanted.

“The site has been at Annie Reed Road for 10 years as of 1 September.”

It isn’t just the bricks and mortar which has changed though, with there being a lot more choice available to consumers than there was in 1963.

“The bathroom business has developed dramatically,” Karl added. “There are lots of different suppliers now, and more products. It is not just a bath, toilet and basin anymore. We now offer flooring, tiling, lighting, underfloor heating. We never got involved in those before.”

And yet, Halmshaw’s, as it is affectionately known, is still very much a small, local company.

“Our ethos is as a small, local business,” Karl said. “People are looking for local businesses more and more, nowadays. I have had people checking we aren’t part of a national chain. They have not got any confidence in national companies. I have noticed this a lot over the last 18 months. People have got their fingers burnt buying on the internet.

“We care about our customers, and we get a lot of repeat business that way. People move house and want a new bathroom, or they want a cloakroom. Or their sons, daughters, uncles come to us when they want a bathroom.

“It is extremely important to us. Reputation is key and we want satisfied customers. We set out to provide what they really want.”

It is this bespoke service which sets Halmshaw’s apart from some of the chain DIY stores, and they will offer help and advice to any customers who want it.

“Every job we do is different,” Karl said. “If you go to B&Q, you get a bathroom in a box. With us, you can choose a tap from over there, a basin from here, whichever bath you want. You can choose each aspect yourself, to make a whole.

“We don’t just deal with tradespeople, we like to encourage the man on the street. We get trade customers who send their customers to us to choose what they want.

“People ring up with a myriad of things. If you show us what you are trying to fix, we will help.”

Various trends have come and gone in the world of plumbing in the last 40 years, with the penchant for coloured bathroom suites being a big thing from the 1960s to 1990s, but somewhat less popular now. Victoriana is making a bit of comeback, however, particularly in Beverley.

“There are more big, old traditional houses in Beverley,” Karl said. “Often they have lots of period features and a modern bathroom would just look a bit incongruous.”

Something which has really taken off in the last six years is bathroom planning, using a ‘Virtual World’ system. This means customers can feed in the relevant dimensions and go away with a drawing of how they would like their bathroom to look.

A high level of personal service and assistance is vital to Halmshaw’s success over the past 40 years, and is something Karl is keen to see continue into the future.

“We want to maintain our position in the market and the levels of service we provide,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to plan or make a statement as to where we will be in 10 years’ time. We will see what opportunities arise.”