Our history
For over three generations, Farrall’s Group has provided high-quality, reliable transport solutions nationwide.
From humble beginnings, the Farrall’s brand has grown exponentially. Now boasting an ever-growing fleet of over 80 vehicles and 125 trailers, 3 BRC AA accredited warehouses, a vehicle workshop, a highly successful joint venture with fellow family business Fagan & Whalley, FF&W, and a dedicated team of over 120 employees, our growth is testament to all those that have joined and supported us throughout our 65+ years in business.
Want to find out more about the rich history of Farrall’s Group? Take a look through our timeline below…
In 1956 Eddie and Joan Farrall founded Farrall’s Group in Mickle Trafford. At this time they operated an O’ Type Bedford. The Bedford was later sold and a more robust Seddon was purchased. New additions followed in 1958 as the business moved to Barrow, along with a Thames Trader purchase.
1961 saw the first son to Eddie and Joan, Mike arrive & the business relocate to Church Road, Ashton. Over the next few years, they welcomed second son Mark Farrall, & the fleet grew to six vehicles. In 1965 Eddie moved from driving to focus on building a workshop and running the Farrall’s traffic desk.
In 1980 Mark left school and joined the family business in the workshop, swiftly followed by Mike in 1982 who joined as a HGV driver after serving a motor vehicle apprenticeship. In 1984 a major fire at the depot destroyed 6 vehicles.
A major move for our depot saw us create a new workshop and warehouse facility at Ashton Lane in 1987.
In 1993 Elaine, Mike’s wife joined the business in the accounts department. After serving the business and their clients for over 35 years, Co-Founders Eddie and Joan retired, handing over the torch to the next generation.
Following huge growth, in 1996 Farrall’s joined the Transport Association, an organisation established to build a network of haulage companies for the benefit of the wider industry.
In 2001 we became a founding member when we made the crucial decision to join Palletforce, diversifying our service offering for clients nationwide. Paul Mather joined as a HGV driver & was quickly deployed to the traffic office.
In 2005 we purchased our first major warehouse on the Deeside Industrial Estate, allowing us to greatly expand our offering to customers.
2008 sees Matthew Farrall join the business full time. Farrall’s started a joint venture business in 2011 with fellow family business, Fagan & Whalley Ltd, creating FF&W Ltd, a dynamic 4PL. Katherine Farrall joins the business full time.
We invested £3.5m in a brand new Deeside warehousing facility in 2014, adding a 80,000sq ft distribution centre to our portfolio. In 2015 Mike Farrall steps up to Chairman. 2016 sees a brand refresh to represent their growth and diversity within the logistics industry, forming Farrall’s Group & celebrates 60 year anniversary.
2015-2018 was a pivotal period for the company, Katharine Farrall was appointed Finance Director, and Matthew Farrall took on the role of Managing Director, marking the official rise of the third generation in the family business. In 2018 we completed the purchase of auto-electrical solutions and parts business, Edge’s Electrical.
We surpassed a milestone £10 million turnover in 2020 and saw our fleet grow to over 50 vehicles. In 2021 Paul Mather is appointed Commercial Director & the 65th anniversary truck is introduced to the fleet.
2022 was a huge year for Farrall’s saw our turnover grow to over £15 million and our Deeside depot become our Head Office due to our ever-expanding team. The fleet surpasses 60 vehicles.
2023 saw expansion with the opening of two new depots. One in Sandycroft, fully equipped with a specialised workshop for fleet maintenance, along with modern offices and dedicated training rooms to support advanced driver training and in-house CPC certifications. A second depot was opened in Newport.
2024 brought significant operational changes. We expanded our portfolio by adding the Telford depot, taking over pallet network deliveries for the TF postcode, along with welcoming a new team there. Further to this Richard Pridding joined as Transport Operations Director and Paul Mather was appointed as Pallet Network Director, before retiring at the end of the year.
Today we are proud to be making significant strides in our sustainability journey, after installing solar panels at both our Deeside and Ashton depots. Our Ashton depot generates 45 kwh, and the Deeside depot’s system produces 552 kwh. This allows both sites to operate entirely off-grid during daylight hours, significantly reducing our carbon footprint and energy consumption.
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