20 years of success

Gowercroft Joinery has celebrated 20 years in business, manufacturing timber doors and windows for new-build, renovation and heritage projects.

Formed in 1998, the Derbyshire based company, has grown from a modest three-man joinery team using second hand machinery, to an award-winning manufacturer with a string of high-profile projects to its name.

The company was originally formed when David Brown, a skilled joiner, joined forces with Chris Madge, an East Midlands business adviser, with a vision of being a top-quality manufacturer of high-end joinery products. The early years were difficult, with the small team operating from a workshop in Wirksworth, fitting security doors in London and supplying windows and doors to a laminated oak products marketing company.

Chis Madge said: “In those days we were reliant on old 1960s machinery plus a lot of grit and determination.  We worked long days, often amounting to 100 hours a week, just managing to break even and pay all the wages.”

By focussing on the development of its own high-quality product range, the company was able to expand its client-base and take on challenging bespoke projects. The Gowercroft team won major London contracts from developers, who had previously been let down by other suppliers, leading to a number of lucrative projects including a major development on the Bishops Avenue, reputedly the most expensive street in the capital.

Chris said: “Our resilience, flexibility and determination to deliver top quality enabled us to punch well above our weight in those early days, as we took on ambitiously large and demanding projects.  It is an approach which has stood us in very good stead ever since.”

Last year the company launched its new Winston and Richmond Heritage windows, specifically designed for listed properties. With the combination of traditional joinery, ultra-thin Pilkington Spacia vacuum glazing, and a bespoke a micro-porous paint system, they have not only made waves in the conservation market, but scooped a 2017 Build It Award for ‘Best Windows’.