Rowlinson celebrates 100 years of innovation
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Rowlinson on Trafford Park
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Modern Innovation
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Rowlinson Packaging
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Norman Rowlinson
Rowlinson marks 100 years of family stewardship, engineering progress and timber innovation
Rowlinson is marking its centenary in 2026, celebrating a full century since founder James Rowlinson established James Rowlinson & Sons at Elevator Road, Trafford Park, in 1926. What began as a small timber agency on the Manchester Ship Canal has evolved into one of the UK’s longest‑standing family‑owned timber groups, still guided by the Rowlinson family after four generations.
A century shaped by the Rowlinson family
James Rowlinson’s early success as a timber merchant and joinery manufacturer set the foundations for the business. During the Second World War, the company opened a second site in Willaston to protect operations from bombing raids, while James’ son Norman Rowlinson served in the RAF before joining the business at the war’s end. His arrival marked the beginning of the second generation’s influence.
Norman’s sons later played pivotal roles in shaping the modern Group.
- Jimmy Rowlinson, Norman’s second‑eldest son, drove the company’s move into garden buildings in the 1980s, supplying sheds to major DIY retailers such as Homebase.
- David Rowlinson, the youngest son, led major industrial and infrastructure projects, including timber supply for Drax Power Station and specialist packaging for the Falklands War. David went on to serve more than 40 years in the business before his death in the late 2010s.
Today, Jimmy continues to steward the Group, emphasising long‑term independence and investment over short‑term shareholder pressure.
Industrial expansion and diversification
The 1980s and 1990s brought diversification and internationalisation. As shipping containerisation reshaped logistics, Rowlinson expanded into garden sheds and retail supply, while also supporting national defence and infrastructure. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Group established Baltic Connexions in Estonia to secure timber supply and later began sourcing garden structures from South Africa and Poland. The Willaston site was redeveloped into a multi‑use manufacturing and retail facility.
Global supply chains and digital transformation
The 2010s saw the Group embrace digital retail, launching a national home‑delivery model capable of delivering garden buildings to customers within seven days. The decade closed with major commercial wins, including a contract to supply 5,000 picnic tables to Wetherspoons, a partnership that continued through the pandemic.
Entering the second century
Despite its scale, the company continues to emphasise its independence and family ethos. “We act as stewards for the next generation,” the leadership states, reflecting a century‑long commitment to long‑term relationships, sustainable sourcing and investment in people.
As Rowlinson celebrates 100 years, the Group positions its centenary not as a conclusion but as a continuation of the values established in 1926—family leadership, engineering precision and a belief in timber as the original renewable material.