Moving with the times...

We’ve been keeping people moving for almost 150 years and know the move process inside out. As a family-owned business since 1871, it comes naturally to us. We’ve never rested on our laurels though, as times have changed so have we.

With Johnsons your project is in remarkably safe hands. So, sit back, relax and get your journey off to an incredible start.

Innovation. Evolution. Growth. You’re in safe hands.

Innovation. Evolution. Growth.

You’re in safe hands.

Here at Johnsons, we exist to provide you with an incredible experience, every time. Average is not an option for us and since Joseph Johnsons’ first venture in 1871, we have striven to personify our brand values of care, integrity and respect. We’ve seen the business continuously innovate, evolve and grow to remain at the forefront of our industry. Our heritage combined with our focus on delivering an incredible experience is what makes us truly unique.

What sets us apart from traditional relocation companies? We are your complete moving, project management and installation partner. Whatever your requirement, whether it’s personal or business, national or international, engage us early on to enjoy the full benefits of our remarkable service offerings.

Having been in the industry for nearly 150 years, we know the move process inside out. Hosting a dedicated training facility approved by the British Safety Council and run by our in-house Training Manager, our investment in the best equipment, training and processes underpins the credibility of our reputation. We proudly retain eleven service accreditations in comparison to the industry standard two, placing us in the top three percent of accredited companies and members of the British Association of Removers.

Key Values

What moves us:

Care

We care about everyone in our team and delivering the best possible experience for customers.

Integrity

You can count on us. If we say we’re going to do something, we’ll do it.

Respect

We respect each other and our client’s ways of working . We listen, adapt and agree on the best way forward.

Johnsons' Community

The nuts & bolts that keep Johnsons moving

Gareth Hilton

Managing Director

Gareth Joined Johnsons in 2002, initially taking charge of the Cheshire Operation, within a couple of years he became the Group General Manager before becoming the Group Operations Director in 2009, in 2012 he then became the Managing Director. During his time with the company, Gareth has overseen the growth of the commercial division and the expansion into new areas and the creation of new specialist brands. His focus has always been on delivering on the promises the company makes, this has underpinned the high level of service we deliver to our clients.

Warren Hamlin

Commercial Director

For over 15 years Warren’s commercial offering to Johnsons has proved to be paramount in the successful growth of the Business Moves division and creation of our highly successful Project Management department. Following the management buy-out with fellow Director Gareth Hilton in 2017, he now leads the strategic expansion of the company and has developed and delivered pioneering propositions which substantiates our development into specialist services Laboratory Logistics, Installation Services and Project Management. Warren continues be hands’ on in the business, always ensuring we are moving with the times.

Darren Pardy

Major Accounts Director

Once our Business Development Team has successfully generated a new account, it is Darren’s responsibility to oversee the mobilisation of the contract. His negotiation skills ensure all parties are involved in the development of key performance indicators, ensuring their achievement is realistic against proposed service level agreements.

Nick Lenton

Regional Director

For over 25 years, Nick has explored all realms of offering the industry hosts. Successfully costing, planning and delivering projects for our relocation, project management and laboratory divisions, he is integral at preserving the integrity, voice and vision of Johnsons, all whilst ensuring the financial aspects of our commercial advancements and delivery are met with client satisfaction.

Stuart Williams

QHSE Director

Stuart’s background as an auditor and his dedication to continual professional development underpins the commitment he feeds in to ensuring Johnsons remain one of the highest accredited companies in the industry for all QHSE matters.

Barbara Evans

Director of Client Engagement

Now leading the team of Solutions Managers, Barbara’s knowledge of the industry proves to be impressionable among her colleagues and business associates alike. Her eight years of experience here provides her team with the background and skills they need to identify new, organic opportunities within the industry and strengthen key partnerships.

Pete Harris

HR Manager

Pete’s primary responsibility is to influence the way our employees perform through ensuring the principle values of our company are embedded from initial engagement. His understanding of Johnsons’ business strategy provides the foundation for delivering a community of employees with a positive mindset. He liaises with all departmental heads to ascertain their recruitment requirements. Employees are hired and deployed on jobs in line with all current regulations and legislation.

Tom Cartmell

Senior Operations Manager – Central

Having been with Johnsons since 2013, Tom has headed the operations departments for our Central and Southern regions and Specialist Services Team. Now based in Derby, his experience with each division means his understanding of effective operational functionality is unrivalled.

Joanne Willshire

Customer Service Manager

Fronting the Customer Service Team, Jo’s 17 years’ worth of experience lends itself to ensuring our customers and clients are dealt with in a professional, personable and pleasant manner from their initial contact to the aftercare of their completed project.

Sadie May Prince

Commercial Manager

For seven years Sadie supported the business with their bids and tender submissions. After identifying the opportunity for additional support following the company expansion, her position elevated to overseeing the Bid, IT and Marketing departments, underpinning the combined proficiency she has accumulated over the years.

Rob Sweeney

Head of Installations

An industry expert, Rob’s desire for the development of relocation-related service diversification has seen him successfully assist and pioneer Johnsons’ expansion into the world of installation services. He oversees the divisional scheduling and manages our team of specialist Fitters who are responsible for installing, servicing and repairing structures and major components.

Ben Ashby

Head of Delivery (South)

Ben focusses on ensuring his team are mentored in all operational, customer service and overall delivery activity for the business moves, laboratory logistics and project management projects in the south. He liaises with our HR Manager to ensure suitable staff are employed, trained and retained, and the Sales Team to quantify the resource proposals maximising cost savings on a project by project basis for the client.

Lianne Jackson

Head of Delivery (North)

Lianne plays host to ensuring her team provide a complete turn-key solution for our clients in the business moves, project management and laboratory logistics divisions. Her perseverance towards leading a project from inception to completion has allowed her to build a team with the same morals, goals and commitment.

The Johnsons Story

Always
Evolving:

Pioneers of Packaging

Joseph Johnsons’ first venture: a glass, china and earthenware dealer in the town of Northwich. Evolving his franchise, Joe purchased a working horse and cart and began delivering coal in the winter and home removals in the summer.

The company’s fleet of horse and carts delivered coal in the winter and moved Cheshire homes in the summer. Over the years the company became best known for high levels of service delivery, and this reputation still remains today.

Moving Forwards…

For over 20 years the Johnsons family name and reputation grew locally throughout the community and the family purchased their first warehouse.

Building the Community

Johnsons became an integral part of the community, taking part in fetes and fayres, similar to how we feature at events today.

Expanding & Evolving

Moving on from horse and cart, Johnsons began to expand its fleet and purchased motor-vehicles to assist with its expanding business activity.

Never Stop Moving Forwards

Never standing still, Johnsons began evolving the workforce and ventured into specialist relocations for the first time.

Relocation & Revolution

Johnsons was sold to the Crozier family in 1968 and their main Cheshire office was moved down the road to the village of Winsford.

A New Beginning

Roger Ferguson purchased Johnsons and kept the business based at the old Methodist Church in Winsford until 1987.

The First of Many

In January the first warehouse was built in Winsford, featuring 5,000sq ft of space. This expanded to 10,000sq ft in September of the same year.

This Means Business

By creating a space for businesses to thrive, a commercial arm to the company was forged and Johnsons Business Moves was born. The original primary base for commercial relocations was Derby as we partnered with fellow removals company UTS until 2001.

Change on the Horizon

Johnsons acquisitioned Intermove and merged the Johnsons name with the Intermove horizon, now an industry recognised logo feature, and in 2001 our first yellow vans were delivered providing us with the most eye-catching vehicles on the road.

End of an Era

20 years to the day since buying the business, Roger sold the business to Andi and Wendy Sinclair and Alick and Karen Willis.

Branching Out

Following the successful completion of several project management outfits and after undertaking one of the biggest projects in the history of the University of Manchester our Johnsons Project Management division was born.

Innovation, Evolution & Expansion

Business innovation, evolution and expansion were beginning to define the shape of the workforce. 2014 saw our first London branch open in Leyton before relocating to Wembley and in 2015 we made steps to relocate our Senior Management team back to our roots in Northwich.

Laboratory Logistics

Culminating our year of expansion and innovation we forged a focus on laboratory and chemical relocations and Johnsons Laboratory Logistics was created.

Installation Services

By introducing Johnsons Installation Services into the family, we found we could offer our customers a complete turnkey solution to their relocation requirements from inception through to completion.

Strengthening the Brand

A management buyout by Gareth Hilton and Warren Hamlin strengthened the expansion and pioneering success of Johnsons.

Making Storage Simple

Market research into temporary storage solutions lead to the founding of Storple; a storage solution made simple by negating the need to hire a van or make multiple trips to a self-store.

A Modern Nod to our Heritage

As Johnsons expanded into a new era, we created a new logo which maintained the crux of our heritage with a modern twist.

Looking Back to Move Forward

The start of an exciting year; our office and warehouse in Winsford undertook a major refurbishment which we were able to incorporate elements of our heritage in to.
Our Derby branch also became home to a training centre housing our dedicated Training and Quality Manager in an industry first step to showcase our commitment in ensuring our employees receive the very best, bespoke training for their jobs.

Accolading our Continuous Success

Accolading our continuous success in the industry, we were awarded the Grafter’s Awards for ‘Best Specialist Contractor’ for a consecutive year and picking up the ‘Northern Roots, National Reach’ award proving our expansion has and continues to be a success.

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Accreditations & Certifications:

Some of the clients we take care of: