innovating since 1926

During the 1930s, the business solidified its standing in the market. By the end of the decade, James Rowlinson was recorded as a successful Timber Merchant, Importer, and Joinery Manufacturer, demonstrating a growing capability to not only trade timber but also to manufacture finished goods.

During the Second World War, the company opened up a second site in Willaston, Cheshire, to hedge against the bombing raids on cities. At the same time, James' son Norman, was serving in the RAF (bottom left in the image below). When the war finally ended, Norman joined the business marking the start of the second generation involvement.

A major milestone occurred in 1966 with the purchase of over 20 acres at a former RAF airfield in Wardle, Cheshire. This allowed for significant industrial growth, leading to the acquisition of specialized wirebound box machinery and the formal creation of Rowlinson Packaging, diversifying the company’s services.

The 1980s saw the Group pivot toward modern logistics and retail. As shipping moved toward containerisation the company, through Jimmy Rowlinson (Norman's son), began manufacturing garden sheds for major DIY retailers such as Homebase. Simultaneously, through David Rowlinson (Norman's youngest son), the company helped to support national infrastructure and defense projects such as supplying timber for the Drax Power Station and specialised packaging for the Falklands War.

This decade was characterised by global expansion. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Group established Baltic Connexions in Estonia to source timber. The company also began sourcing garden furniture and structures from South Africa and Poland, and at the saem time  developing the Willaston site into a multi-use facility for retail and manufacturing.

The 2000s marked a transition to large-scale global operations. The Group began chartering full vessels of timber from the Baltics and Russia, while moving the manufacturing of hardwood furniture to the Far East to remain competitive in the growing garden leisure market.

As technology changed consumer habits, and more shoppers moved online, the group launched its home delivery offer, eventually being able to deliver garden buildings to the customer's door nationally, all within 7 days of an order placed.

The decade closed with significant commercial success, including a substantial contract to supply 5,000 picnic tables to the Wetherspoons pub chain, a partnership that continued through the global pandemic. Unfortunately, it was around this time David Rowlinson (second from the right in the image below), sadly passed away having served over 40 years in the business.

Entering its second century, the Rowlinson Group has scaled to manage over 1000 SKUs and has undertaken major site expansions for its UK and Estonian divisions. Under Jimmy Rowlinson's leadership, the business has also invested significantly in state-of-the-art robotic automation across its timber product manufacturing operations, enhancing it's efficiency and production capability.

The decade is highlighted by the 2026 celebration of 100 years in business, representing a century of family-led evolution and resilience.