HISTORY OF PAGE & TAYLOR
Preston based since its formation in 1872, the premises originally occupied by Page & Taylor were in Deepdale Mill Street and then, from 1903, in our current 6.5 acre site at Watery Lane in Ashton and adjacent to the dock development. In those early days, this strategic position enabled Page & Taylor to import ‘standards’ of timber from Russia, Poland, Canada and Scandinavia and hoist it over the ships’ rail and on to railway wagons which were then shunted across the main Blackpool Road and into the yard.
Between the two world wars, Preston’s famous spinning and weaving industry attracted a huge workforce and of course, Page & Taylor were on hand to supply the needs of the building trade to house this influx of labour... with additional assistance from three horses and four Leyland delivery vehicles!
The outbreak of World War 2 in 1939 saw Page & Taylor embark on its own war effort and as the male workforce was called up for military service, their places in the workshops were taken by around 50 women who worked day and night shifts to make ammunition/first aid boxes and other strategic items.
The 50s, 60s and early 70s, witnessed another phase in the saga of Page & Taylor when we contributed substantially towards the building and re-building of new houses, schools and hospitals in the Lancashire region.
In 1985, the company was acquired by the present management and is now a modern timber merchant, but the aim is the same as it was in 1872:-
To achieve the “three Rs”...”the right product, at the right price and with the right service”.