Family’s great journey from a tipper truck to road empire

IF ever a company exemplified why family businesses are the backbone of Gloucestershire’s economy then it has to be Downton.

From humble beginnings the company has now grown to become a national logistics player in the transport and warehousing sector.

The company is led by the Downton brothers – Andrew, who is managing director and twins Johnnie, operations director, and Richard, financial director.

Their father Conrad Downton founded the business in the 1950s when he realised there was only a small living to be made from the family farm at Moreton Valence.

At first he diversified into hauling hay and straw.

He then invested £16 in a tipper lorry used for carrying gravel from the nearby pits.

Andrew Downton said: “His big break came with the construction of motorways in the 1960s. He offered his services and within a couple of years was operating 50 tipper trucks.”

In the early 1970s, as the business continue to grow, he bought his first articulated lorry.

Then in 1985 tragedy struck when he died suddenly on the twin’s 21st birthday.

“It meant that we came together very quickly.

“We had a responsibility to the people working for Dad,” said Andrew Downton. “We realised that it was a necessity to grow the business.”

And grow it they did. The brothers concentrated on providing a friendly but professional fully integrated business encompassing distribution and warehousing.

Downton supplied some of the materials for some of the most iconic buildings in the city of London but fortunately, as it turned out, diversified away from the construction sector.

As its reputation grew, the company’s big break came when it became involved in the huge magazine industry and distributed for the publisher IPC in the South West.

“We are now the largest distributor of magazines in the UK, we deliver 500,000 tonnes a year to every wholesaler in the country,” said Andrew.

Downton also manage the distribution and warehousing for bluechip companies such as Dyson vacuum cleaners (from its purpose-built distribution centre in Quedgeley), Magners cider (through Downton’s national distribution centre in Avonmouth), Pets at Home and News International’s supplements.

The company now employs more than 600 people (some 240 in Gloucestershire) with a turnover of £75 million.

By 2012 it expects to employ 750 with a turnover of £100million. The company has now started operating dual fuel vehicles, which will mean a drastic reduction in Co2 emissions, and its drivers are trained to increase fuel efficiency.

Moreton Valence-based Downton is proud of its roots – it is a sponsor of Gloucester Rugby and its name can be seen emblazoned on the players’ shorts.

“As brothers we have a fantastic relationship. We never argue about business, although we may argue about rugby,” said Andrew.

“Part of the reason for our success has been our flexibility and the speed with which we can react as a business. Many significant deals have been done in hours.”

He sums up Downton’s business ethos as attention to detail and providing added value and access to key decision makers.

The company today is one of the largest privately owned transport companies in the UK with an extremely diverse client base.

Two years ago it won the Business of the Year category in The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo Business Awards.

Andrew Downton said: “As brothers we are Gloucester lads who have spent our whole lives building this business.

“We have 600 staff and families relying on us and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Because our success could not have happened without their support.”