Jewson
Encyclopedia
Jewson is one of the largest chain of British general builders' merchants, selling to small building contractors and the general public with over 500 branches across the country.
Jewson, as part of the Meyer group, was acquired by the French conglomerate Saint-Gobain
in April 2000.
in 1836 to trade goods in the Huntingdonshire
Fens of East Anglia
.
His son John Wilson Jewson (b. 1817) had 13 children: the eldest, George, at the time working with a timber merchant in Norwich
, suggested expansion there.
John Jewson bought a house in Colegate in Norwich in 1868, and he moved there where he developed a successful timber, coal and builders' merchant business. The family played a role in civic service in Norwich and Norfolk.
Frank became a partner in a solicitors, Cozens-Hardy & Jewson.
Richard Jewson (1867–1949) was Lord Mayor of Norwich and the firm became the largest timber merchants between the Thames and the Humber
.
Percy Jewson was Lord Mayor in 1934 and Liberal
MP for Great Yarmouth
during the Second World War. His son, Charles Jewson, son of Percy, was a writer on the history of Norwich and its buildings and Lord Mayor in 1965.
Norman Jewson
was a distinguished Cotswold
Arts and Crafts movement
architect.
Dorothy Jewson
, the Labour Party
politician and Trade Union
organiser, was one of the party's first female Members of Parliament
, who represented Norwich.
Another Richard Jewson was Managing Director and Chairman of the holding company for all the timer and merchants interests Meyer International Pl] until the purchase by Saint Gobain.
In 2001 Worldwide Business Information and Market Reports http://www.the-list.co.uk/acatalog/kn51001.html stated that "Having undergone a period of major consolidation, the builders’ merchants market is now dominated by Jewson Ltd (owned by Saint-Gobain Building Distribution Ltd), Wolseley
and Travis Perkins
... These top three companies each have total sales of over £1bn."
Currently sponsor Gloucester RFC
of the Guinness Premiership
.
Sales director Tony Newman and another unnamed employee had left the firm following claims of irregularities in the company's books.
In a statement Jewson said: "We can confirm that following an investigation by our internal audit department Tony Newman was dismissed from his role as sales director, on 18 April. In addition, one other person, who had been employed by Jewson for less than 2 weeks, has been dismissed as a result of our internal investigation. This matter, which relates to the fraudulent supply and procurement of marketing services, has now been passed to the police who are conducting a detailed investigation with our full cooperation and support."
Jewson, as part of the Meyer group, was acquired by the French conglomerate Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials.The company has its head...
in April 2000.
Foundation
George Jewson bought a business in EarithEarith
Earith is a village in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, England, south of Chatteris and east of Huntingdon. At Earith, two artificial diversion channels of the River Great Ouse, the Old Bedford River and the New Bedford River, leave the river on a course to Denver Sluice near Downham Market, where they...
in 1836 to trade goods in the Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
Fens of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
.
His son John Wilson Jewson (b. 1817) had 13 children: the eldest, George, at the time working with a timber merchant in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, suggested expansion there.
John Jewson bought a house in Colegate in Norwich in 1868, and he moved there where he developed a successful timber, coal and builders' merchant business. The family played a role in civic service in Norwich and Norfolk.
Jewson family
Of John's eight sons:Frank became a partner in a solicitors, Cozens-Hardy & Jewson.
Richard Jewson (1867–1949) was Lord Mayor of Norwich and the firm became the largest timber merchants between the Thames and the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
.
Percy Jewson was Lord Mayor in 1934 and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP for Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Great Yarmouth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
during the Second World War. His son, Charles Jewson, son of Percy, was a writer on the history of Norwich and its buildings and Lord Mayor in 1965.
Norman Jewson
Norman Jewson
Norman Jewson was an English architect-craftsman of the Arts and Crafts movement, who practiced in the Cotswolds. He was a distinguished, younger member of the group which had settled in Sapperton, Gloucestershire, a feudal village in rural southwest England, under the influence of Ernest Gimson...
was a distinguished Cotswold
Cotswold
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England that give their name to:*Cotswold *Cotswold *Cotswold Chase, a horse race*Cotswold Games, annual games in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire...
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
architect.
Dorothy Jewson
Dorothy Jewson
Dorothy Jewson was a British teacher, trade union organiser, Labour Party politician, and one of her party's first female Members of Parliament....
, the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician and Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organiser, was one of the party's first female Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, who represented Norwich.
Another Richard Jewson was Managing Director and Chairman of the holding company for all the timer and merchants interests Meyer International Pl] until the purchase by Saint Gobain.
In 2001 Worldwide Business Information and Market Reports http://www.the-list.co.uk/acatalog/kn51001.html stated that "Having undergone a period of major consolidation, the builders’ merchants market is now dominated by Jewson Ltd (owned by Saint-Gobain Building Distribution Ltd), Wolseley
Wolseley (builders' merchant)
Wolseley plc is a global building materials supplier company headquartered near Reading, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest heating and plumbing distributor to the professional market and has approximately 47,000 employees in 25 countries...
and Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins plc is a British builders merchant based in Northampton. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
... These top three companies each have total sales of over £1bn."
Currently sponsor Gloucester RFC
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
of the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
.
Fraud
On 14 May 2008 it was reported that Jewson had dismissed two members of staff and contacted police after an internal investigation revealed evidence of an alleged £1m fraud at the firm. http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2008/05/14/59134/jewson-director-sacked-over-alleged-1m-fraud.htmlSales director Tony Newman and another unnamed employee had left the firm following claims of irregularities in the company's books.
In a statement Jewson said: "We can confirm that following an investigation by our internal audit department Tony Newman was dismissed from his role as sales director, on 18 April. In addition, one other person, who had been employed by Jewson for less than 2 weeks, has been dismissed as a result of our internal investigation. This matter, which relates to the fraudulent supply and procurement of marketing services, has now been passed to the police who are conducting a detailed investigation with our full cooperation and support."
External links
- Official website
- New £600,000 store in North East
- Sponsors of Gloucester Rugby Union Club
- European Commission Press Release
- Jewson sacks director in fraud probe