Celebrating its 100th year, The Perry Group credits its success to agility, family, and foresight 

Established in 1925, The Perry Group is a global manufacturer of hardware, equestrian, and industrial components. Based in the heart of the West Midlands, the company proudly remains a family-owned operation. As Guy Perry, Managing Director, begins: “This year will be our 100th anniversary, which is quite an achievement for everyone involved. The company has been in our family since it was founded, so it’s a big part of my personal heritage. We’re now on our fourth generation of leadership, starting with my grandfather Arther Perry, who passed The Perry Group onto my father, Cliff, and my uncle, Ernie. 

“I came into the business several years later, after Ernie’s son-in-law, Alan Dunnaker, joined. My two sons, as well as Alan’s son, are now working with us, and it hopefully won’t be long before we’re on our fifth generation. It’s important that we maintain the family legacy – we’ve successfully passed it down from father to son for a full century, and I’d like to see that tradition live on. 

“Chris, my eldest son, runs our operational side of things as Operations Director, whilst my youngest, Steven, heads up our Marketing division, and Alan’s son, Ian, leads our sales team as Commercial Director. It’s very rewarding to see them build a career within the business and do what they do best.” 

Being a family owned and operated business provides The Perry Group with a unique competitive edge, as Steven Perry, Marketing Director, discusses: “Sometimes it can be hard to keep business and family separate, especially when we all work together. But I mostly view it as an asset. We’re able to discuss things more openly, we’re very familiar with one another’s strengths, and we’re used to operating as a team. Everyone knows how the others think, and it makes for a well-oiled machine. 

“At the same time, we try not to make it personal. If there are debates or disagreements, we handle everything professionally. It’s all about balance. Working together as a family makes us strong in a lot of ways, we try to draw on those elements, while keeping the more challenging aspects of running a business to the board room. We don’t bring work home with us.” 

“I agree. Everyone has a part to play, it’s not about us as individuals, the business is bigger than that. It’s about maintaining our success, supporting the needs of the company, and working together above all else,” adds Guy. 

On the eve of The Perry Group’s centennial anniversary, Guy looks back on the company’s long legacy: “We’ve been in manufacturing since the very beginning. I started off as an apprentice toolmaker, so I have a lot of hands-on experience with making the products themselves. I then branched out into operations and ultimately took over as Managing Director.

“Over the years, we have seen a lot of changes. I often get asked how we’ve maintained the business for so long, and I think the key to our longevity is our willingness to adapt to new technologies. We’ve always been at the cutting edge of new developments in the market, and our operation is structured so that we can integrate new processes and machinery with ease. 

“It all comes down to agility. The Perry Group has always been able to change, grow, and evolve. That’s the secret to our success. We keep a close eye on changes across the industry, predicting fluctuations in demand, and looking to always serve the needs of our customers as best we can,” he asserts. 

Operating across four key categories, The Perry Group boasts a diverse product portfolio and production network. As Steve reveals: “We’ve always been a manufacturer, and over the years we’ve expanded our footprint across the world. We have some operations in the UK, as well as a factory in India, which we oversee to ensure quality and consistency. The facilities are maintained to a high standard of safety and quality assurance, while also being fitted out with the very latest manufacturing technology. 

“Our main product lines have always been hardware, outdoor components, gates, ironmongery, and general DIY equipment. We are and have always been a business-to-business supplier, primarily targeting the merchant market; builders’ merchants, landscaping merchants, and agricultural merchants, who will have a regular need for the products we offer. We also supply a variety of other industries such as garden centers, equestrian centers, and some DIY brands across the UK. 

“We’ve been able to offer British made products, while also expanding our operation to remain competitive in the global market. We’re driven to offer high value goods, which means balancing manufacturing costs while refusing compromise on quality. Our ability to deliver something different, while remaining affordable, has helped to ensure the company’s long-term success. 

“We’ve also adapted our product range to suit a variety of markets. This diversification push has kept the business agile and opened us up to lots of different opportunities. Owning our own factories means we can pivot when necessary and remain adaptable to the demands of the industry.” 

Embracing the latest manufacturing technology has kept The Perry Group one step ahead. As Guy details: “A few years ago, we decided to update our warehouse facilities. When automation started to become more available, we brought that into our operation. We wanted to improve the efficiency of our distribution process, so we installed automated robots revolutionizing our picking and dispatch capabilities.” 

“Today, we have a whole warehouse dedicated to robot dispatch. More than half of our operation is entirely automated, with robots picking and moving products around the shop floor. It’s some of the most advanced warehousing automation in the industry, and we’ve seen huge benefits from adopting the technology early,” Steve elaborates. 

One hundred years and four generations later, The Perry Group shows no signs of slowing down. As Guy concludes: “We’re looking to double the size of the operation in the next five years.  We have additional premises ready for us to expand into and with two full acres of space available to us, we’ll have room to grow The Perry Group into its next chapter. We’ve laid strong foundations for the future, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”  

https://perrytrade.co.uk