60 diamond years and still sparkling
Elvis released his first single “Heartbreak Hotel”, Pele signed
as a 15 year old for Santos, the Suez Canal crises was swirling and the average
UK house cost just £2,150 , the year is 1956, the year Mr Ernest Wilson opened
the doors of Ernest Wilsons Business Transfer Agency.
Ernest successfully nurtured and grew the business until his
1961 retirement and Jess Halliday, a well-known local businessman within the
vibrant business community that existed in Bradford during the 1960’s, took the
business on. The firm continued to grow
under his stewardship and in 1973 Robert Williamson, who had begun working in
the business two years before, was made a partner and went on to purchase the
business himself in 1974. He set about
modernising the firm and by passionately looking after the interests of the firm’s
clients the business swelled and grew at a rapid pace. Indeed in 1985 Ernest
Wilsons was considered one of the largest and most successful Business Transfer
Agents in the North of England, selling more businesses from its single office
in Bradford than any other agent. Robert continues to value businesses with the
same passion and enthusiasm to this very day.
It soon became clear that the volume of business transacted
could not be sustained without computerisation and Paul Williamson was brought
into the firm to deliver this which he successfully did. He soon thereafter
became heavily involved in the day to day business of the firm, initially as a
sales negotiator before moving on to become a Valuer, a role he still enjoys to
this day as well as being the Managing Director. In 1991 Stuart Moorhouse
joined from Barclays Banking Group as a new Sales Negotiator, soon becoming
Sales Director as the business grew exponentially. In no time, in addition to
other office staff, another Sales Negotiator was required and Jonathan Holmes
was appointed becoming an integral part of the business and is now one of the Company’s
experienced business valuers.
In 2002 the business needed much larger and more modern
premises and moved to the present purpose built offices on Gelderd Road in Leeds.
2010 saw the recruitment of Martin Humberstone, Lloyds Banking Group’s Area
Director, West Yorkshire Commercial Banking, as Ernest Wilsons wanted to serve
the needs of purchasers requiring finance in what was a difficult financial environment
following the 2007/8 Banking crises. This certainly added successfully to the
range of services offered to vendors and purchasers alike.
Ernest Wilsons has impressively gone from strength to
strength through the economic cycles that have come and gone over the last six
decades. One reason for this is the extensive experience of the Ernest Wilson
business valuers, they have a combined 122 years of active experience, ranging individually
from 20 to 45 years. No wonder they understand the market place and are able to
arrive at accurate business valuations along with innovative marketing
strategies, both of which are critical to achieving expeditious business sales.
Added to this our Sales and Administration staff have been with the company for
an average of 12 years each – all valuable experience and knowledge that
benefits our clients each and every day.
No wonder Ernest Wilsons are the first port of call for
anyone thinking of selling or buying a business.
If you are thinking about buying your own business give
Ernest Wilsons a call, your call will be welcomed and without obligation on
your part, we can use our decades of experience to guide you. For those selling
businesses we remain delighted to keep answering the ever ringing phones.
Here is to another 60 years and more!
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