One the UK's oldest established architectural antiques businesses, Andy Thornton Ltd, has just celebrated its fortieth year of trading at a big do at Bertie's at La Cachette in the company's home town of Elland.
 
In the Halifax Courier, managing director, Charles Tolley, was reported as saying, "The company is also celebrating a 50 per cent increase in sales between July 2013 and July 2015, standing at £12.6m for the latest financial year, while annual profits after tax have more than doubled. This has resulted in the company employing an extra 25 people over the two year period, and investing heavily in production, office and warehousing facilities.
 
"On top of these two consecutive years of fantastic financial results, we have the comfort of a record order-book of £3.3m to take into our new financial year. This shows a 24 per cent increase on the same period last year and gives us great confidence for another successful year. We are maintaining a strong foothold in our core market, the hospitality sector, whilst continuing to develop relationships in a relatively new market to us, the retail design sector."
 
The company employs 105 people and has workshops, showrooms and offices in Elland and Greetland. As well as being a major manufacturer and supplier of furniture and lighting, it remains one of the largest suppliers of architectural antiques and original props in the world and its customers including Heineken, Morrison's and Hugo Boss.
 
Andy Thornton started dealing in architectural salvage in 1975 exporting antique woodwork to the west coast of the USA where it was sold to bars and restaurants. In 1993 Charles Tolley was one the trade members of a committee which helped formulate what became the Salvo Code for good practice in architectural antique stock purchasing. At around the same time Andy Thornton was awarded the MBE, and his company was awarded the Queen's Award for Exports. The bulk of the turnover of the company shifted from architectural antiques to contracting and supplying the hospitality sector. Eight years ago a successful management buyout of the company was spearheaded by one of the directors, Charlie Tolley, and Andy Thornton left his eponymous company to pursue other interests including property development.
 
Andy Thornton Ltd continues to sell a few antique items along with new and reproduction.
 
We offer hearty congratulations and wish the company well for its next forty years.