The Gelder Group was originally established in 1988 as a two man operation trading as SP Gelder Builders. As the company's reputation for quality workmanship grew, it was not long before the company started to employ additional labour to cope with the demand for its services.
For the next five years the firm undertook a wide range of work including individual houses and small developments in the local area.
In 1993, the firm incorporated into Gelder Ltd and traded as Gelder Construction. At the same time, the company undertook its most challenging and largest contract since its inception, the conversion of a dilapidated old farm house, which had historically been a coaching inn, into an award winning guest house and 12 new properties.
In May 1995, approval was given to convert a group of old farm buildings into offices, stores and a workshop for Gelder Ltd.
The following year, the company embarked on its largest housing development consisting of 47 new homes, for which it would later be presented with an award at the British House Builder of the Year awards at the Park Lane Hilton hotel in London.
The company moved into the renovated offices on Tillbridge Lane, Sturton by Stow in the spring of 1997 and had a formal opening in October 1997. A year later the company was awarded the Rural Development Commission's "Redundant Building" award for the quality of the renovation.
Over the next two years Gelder Ltd grew significantly, gaining a reputation for quality and service in many different sectors of the industry. In 1999, the company's turnover had grown to £5m and it had 80 employees.
In 2000, additional offices were added to the existing in order to cope with the increase in staffing infrastructure required to grow and manage the business properly. Within two years turnover had doubled to £10m and the number of Gelder employees had increased by 50% to 120.
To reflect the significant growth in the company and the diversity of the building works undertaken, in January 2004 it changed its principle trading name to Gelder Group.
Also in January 2004 planning permission was received to extend its Group headquarters by around 50%, adding 17 new offices and 2000 square feet of secure stores and garage facilities. This £650,000 project was completed in 2005 and on the 4th October 2005 the Group welcomed His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO to carry out an official opening ceremony.
By the end of 2005 turnover had grown to over £16 million and staff members increased to over 160. Demand from several clients for it to increase its trading area led it to open its first regional office in January 2006, a 3600 square foot unit located just off the M1 at Barlborough.
Orders, employee figures and turnover continued to increase throughout 2006 and in 2007 employee figures passed 250 for the first time. 2007 also saw the Group purchase a 17,500 square foot former RAF warehouse and office complex on a 2.5 acre site at Dunholme. With this facility the group created a new company, Greentech Management Services LLP. Tasked with the responsibility of dealing with all waste produced by the Group, a waste transfer licence was obtained and the first skip lorry was purchased. Currently well over 90% of all waste produced by the company is recycled, 20% above the industry average. This achievement can be traced back to the investment made in 2007.
In November 2007 the 1 acre lake, the centre piece of the Group's 13 acre environmental project to the rear of the Head Office was completed. The project includes a 55,000 litre grey water system, 3200 trees, 3 large reed beds and a worm farm which together completely offset all carbon dioxide generated by our Head Office activities.
November 2007 also saw the Group purchase River Cottage, a complex adjacent to the Head Office site that included a 5 bedroom farmhouse, 6 acres of land and a collection of redundant out-buildings. This was converted into further offices and what is now, the Gelder Group's Training Academy.
By 2008 staff members increased to 300, fleet vehicles increased to 170 and turnover reached £30 million. The company opened its 3rd Regional Office in Kettering. This new office extended the Gelder Group's trading area across the midlands, bringing it into contact with a potential 5 million new customers. By the end of 2008 the Gelder Group's trading area had grown to incorporate a sixth of the UK.
Also in 2008 new premises were purchased at Aisthorpe, Lincoln. Out of this 7,200 square foot complex operate two new Gelder Group operations: Redline Building Supplies & Services and Century Plumbing, Heating, Mechanical & Electrical.
2008 also bought with it the 'Banking Crisis' and the beginning of a new period of austerity in the UK. The beginning of the worst recession in living memory and with it came, both challenges and opportunities. The challenges remain with us to this day but opportunity came in 2009 when Tillbridge Developments was formed. The Gelder Groups commercial development arm that now sees us delivering convenience stores for customers such as Tesco's, Sainsbury's and Spar.
Despite the harsher economic climate the Gelder Group continued to re-invest and develop its brand and two further companies were added in 2010. Home and Dry a national operation dealing in water mitigation and 'Xeric' another national operator in the world of pest elimination. In addition a further regional satellite office was opened, this time in Kings Lynn.
To accommodate the new companies, Home and Dry and Xeric, additional Head Office space was created along with more car parking facilities, a one way road system and the complete refurbishment of River Cottage, the Groups training academy. Sales during this period also increased by some 20% to 37 million and staff numbers increased to 320, quite an achievement during the worst recession in living memory. Our success was celebrated with another Royal visit.
On 17th June 2010 Gelder Group staff and invited guests watched the Queen's new Sikorsky helicopter land on a hastily created helicopter pad to the rear of the offices and welcomed for the second time, HRH the Duke of Gloucester who officially launched the two new companies, 'Home and Dry' and 'Xeric'. He also planted a tree to commemorate his visit and was introduced to another Gelder Group initiative 'Squelch and Burn'.
'Squelch and Burn' is a business created for disadvantaged young people who now manufacture and sell environmentally friendly logs made from recycled paper in a specially created facilities located to the rear of our training academy. This initiative has not only given the youths confidence in themselves, it's also given them a valuable insight into the business world and has led to a plethora of other initiatives with schools and also Lincoln prison.
Austerity measures imposed by the coalition government really began to bite in 2011 and this saw the Gelder Group re-focus and re-structure to place greater emphasis on maintenance and insurance, repair and renovation sales as well as land purchases with the group purchasing several new development sites its first increase in its land bank for several years.
2011 also saw the Gelder Group's training operation in River Cottage (Now Gelder Educational Training Ltd) become involved with educating children classed as 'disaffected' and expelled from school. This initiative which begun as 'Squelch and Burn' received many plaudits and soon came along another initiative the 'Gelder Virtual School'. This brought us in to contact with HMP Lincoln and during 2012 our HMP Training program was born.
In 2013 we celebrated 25 years in business with a huge marquee covering the whole of our main office car park and 500 invited guests. Long service awards were presented and the event was followed by a well-supported staff party.
25 Years in business (2013) was a year of great highs for the Gelder Group. One of which was our presentation of a cheque for over £30,000 raised by our staff and customers for our chosen charities Alzheimer's Society and St Barnabas. However the year wasn't without its challenges as the Group completed a re-structure to ensure it remained on the 'front foot' and in good shape for the next 25 years.
As always, remaining on the 'Front Foot', looking forward and facing challenges head-on with energy, enthusiasm and a focus on delivering the best service possible, remains paramount. The Gelder Group can now boast 21 separate divisions, branches and companies. Its name is now a brand synonymous with a quality product, treating people with respect and exceptional levels of customer care and for this reason, despite its achievements to date our best years still lie ahead of us.
