Company History

1981 - Stax opens its doors

Opened by Maccess in 1981, the first Stax cash & carry branches were opened in Manchester and Leeds. Another branch opened in Tottenham, North London, in 1983.

1985 - Leeds & Tottenham closures

Despite increasing the range of goods sold to include bulk chemicals, catering equipment, ceramic tiles, furniture and office stationery, the decision was taken to close Tottenham and Leeds. David Hibbert was transferred to Manchester to work with Eddie Brady, who had been manager there since it opened.

1986 - Management buy-out

Under Eddie & David’s management, Manchester began to flourish. When the opportunity arose to buy-out the branch from Maccess, Eddie and David went for it. It was a big gamble. Both Eddie, who now became Chairman and Managing Director, and David, his Joint Managing Director, had to take out second mortgages on their homes to finance the project.

1987 - Stax Fire Disaster

Disaster struck when the premises in Wardley Industrial Estate burned to the ground. Eddie and David were devastated, but they set about rebuilding their business. Fortunately, a warehouse on the same industrial estate was vacant. Although smaller, they were able to move the business into it and the Stax tills started ringing again on 22 November 1987, just nine weeks after the fire.

1988 - New Branch & Warehouse Completion

1988 was a significant year for Stax! Exactly one year after the fire, construction of the new Stax warehouse was completed, and it opened on the same site.

Additionally, a second branch was launched in Birmingham, and the annual turnover reached £4.9 million.

1992 - Continued Growth

The business continued to prosper, and a third branch was soon opened in Leeds. Turnover rocketed to over £20m the following year.

1995 - Rival Acquisition

Eddie and David continued their momentum, driving further expansion as Stax acquired its close competitor, W.E. Merris, in the West Midlands.

W.E. Merris was a family business led by brothers Simon and Nigel Wright. Following the acquisition, both Simon and Nigel joined the Stax board, taking on key roles as Purchasing Director and Operations Director, respectively.

1996 - New Bristol Branch

A fourth branch opened its doors to trade customers in Bristol. The 52,000sq ft warehouse became Stax’s largest at the time, and annual turnover hit £35m.

1997 - Manchester Expansion & New Delivery Service

Foundations were laid for a new extension to the Manchester branch, which opened later that year, marking continued growth for Stax.

Meanwhile, delivered wholesaler Domcraft went into receivership. Stax Trade Centres stepped in, rescuing the company and launching a new entity, Dompak Grosvenor, as its dedicated delivery service arm.

2001 - Birmingham Relocation

With turnover now well over £60m, Stax Birmingham relocated to a new 70,000sq ft cash and carry trade centre.

Stax made the headlines the previous year when Manchester staff came face to face with masked robbers. Thankfully nobody was hurt, and the robbers left empty-handed after being confronted by courageous staff.

2006 - Leeds Relocation

Stax Leeds relocated to a brand-new state-of-the-art 78,000sq ft cash and carry trade centre.

2007 - Expanding Horizons with Strategic Investments

To bolster the growing delivered garden centre business, Stax made a significant investment in expanding its sales team. This new team was dedicated to visiting clients, offering in-depth product knowledge, and providing tailored advice. 2007 also marked the launch of The Big Green Book, our largest catalogue to date. This catalogue quickly became, and remains, an essential tool in our marketing efforts, particularly in supporting the garden category.

2009 - Resilience and Expansion Amidst Economic Turmoil

In the wake of the 2008 economic crash, Stax demonstrated its resilience by investing £11 million in new premises. A massive new flagship branch and head office opened in Manchester, located just across the road from the existing branch.

The 100,000 sq ft facility was inaugurated on September 1st, 2009, by legendary comedian Ken Dodd, marking his return to Stax 28 years after he opened the original Manchester branch.

2011 - Expansion into Scotland and Milestone Achievements

Stax made its debut in Scotland with the opening of a brand-new cash-and-carry trade centre in Edinburgh. That same year, the company achieved a significant milestone as its turnover exceeded £100 million.

Against the backdrop of new branches and increasing sales, Stax’s workforce grew dramatically—from just 50 staff members in 1981 with sales of £4.5 million to over 600 employees and sales of £135 million.

To further expand its services throughout Scotland, Stax acquired the Scottish delivered wholesaler DF Wishart, solidifying its presence in the region.

2015 - Glasgow Expansion and New Distribution Hub

Stax opened its sixth branch in Glasgow, a dual-purpose facility serving as both a distribution centre and a cash & carry. The 7.2-acre site, featuring an 80,000 sq ft warehouse, is conveniently located just 3 miles from the city centre and minutes from Junction 10 of the M8.

The DF Wishart business was integrated into the new branch, establishing Glasgow as the central hub for Stax’s operations in Scotland.

2017 - Delivering the Future

2017 was a pivotal year for the delivered business. In January the business took receipt of a growing fleet of delivery vehicles, with a total of 15 vehicles. They were then able to offer a highly efficient first class delivery service to the entire UK.

In a move to further invest in its supply chain and gain greater control of logistics, the company purchased PDS Logistics later that year. Stax had been a major customer of PDS’s logistics operation, so the transition was smooth, allowing Stax to fully secure vertical integration of the supply chain.

2018 - Rewarding our Customers

A new customer rewards programme was introduced. The innovative Stax Perx programme gives members cash savings on both business and personal products and services from a wide variety of the UK’s top brands and high-street stores. Open to all members, there are now over 7,000 customers benefiting from the rewards programme on a regular basis.

2019 - New Acquisitions

In 2018, Stax expanded its brand portfolio by acquiring Groundsman, a premium line of household brooms, brushes, and dustpans. The following year, Stax purchased MP Smith, a hardware and ironmongery business that had been a trusted supplier to Stax for over 30 years.

Established in the mid-1970s under the brand name SECURIT, MP Smith has a strong reputation for quality. Both brands now offer retailers competitively priced, high-quality ranges, enabling them to stay competitive while maintaining healthy margins.

2020 - Rising to the Challenge

Maintaining the supply chain during the challenges of 2020 wasn’t easy, but adaptation and agility has become a way of life for Stax.

The pandemic provided a new impetus to further develop the website capabilities to meet the demand for orders. And whilst Brexit, high demand and shipping problems have further exacerbated supply issues in 2021, the team are working closely with their suppliers to keep the supply chain moving and to source the products Stax customers need to keep their businesses thriving.

2023 - A Journey of Growth and Commitment

Since its inception in 1981, Stax has grown tremendously. The team has expanded from 50 to over 500 employees, and annual sales have surged from £4.5 million to over £100 million.

Today, more than 50% of our stock is delivered via our own fleet, and we have 16 dedicated representatives covering the country. Despite this significant growth, our commitment to supporting both trade and retail remains at the core of our business values.

2024 - Digital Strides

Although our website is already considered one of the best in the industry, we’re committed to continual improvement. In 2024, significant upgrades to the site’s search functionality and speed will be introduced.

With customers at the core of our decision-making, we’re rolling out new features and capabilities over the coming months. Keep an eye out for our Stax. Better. campaign, which will spotlight the many enhancements we’re making to elevate your purchasing experience with Stax.