A WINNERSH brick and stone specialist is celebrating a notable anniversary this year.
All Brick & Stone, based on Grovelands Avenue, is marking 20 years in business.
Founded in 2003 by Ron Goodwin and his wife Jan, the brick and stone experts have been supplying builders up and down the country with their services for two decades.
Ron had worked in the industry for many years prior to the launch and decided in 2003 the time was right to go solo.
“My wife and I agreed one day that we would just pack it in,” he explained.
“Shortly after, we were sitting at our kitchen table wondering why on earth we left our occupations to start the business.”
Ron had worked at a previous company for 10 years but didn’t enjoy his time there as he says their morals didn’t align with his.
He said: “I just didn’t want to be corralled into being a person for somebody. I have always believed in not overcharging people for products and giving good service.
“So, when we first started, a lot of it was my existing customers that came with me who were developers and architects.
“Within six months, we were just run off our feet with inquiries.”
The company had soon outgrown its humble beginnings at the family’s kitchen table.
Ron said: “We were at the kitchen table, then it moved to the dining room table and into the small bedroom.
“Then we had a log cabin built outside, which held five people.
“We had a small office in Grovelands, which we suddenly burst out of, and now we have moved into bigger offices where we have a showroom and 12 people working for us.”
Among the 12 is Ron and Jan’s son, Lee as well as his wife, Janka.
The family feel and a genuine care for the people they are working with has been a cornerstone of the businesses values from the beginning.
“I always liked the fact that we actually do care about the job that we’re doing for people,” said Ron.
“It’s very much an advice giving business. The knowledge that I’ve got and the other people that we’ve got in the business is good and it comes from a lot of experience after years of working in the industry.”
The company’s work and expertise has also received recognition from national industry awards.
Starting in 2018, All Brick & Stone assisted with the extension of Radley College Chapel, a complex project due to the building’s Grade II listing and detailed brickwork.
The extension went on to receive the Supreme Award at the 2022 Brick Awards, hosted by the Brick Development Association, and was heavily praised by judges.
The judges commented: “The overall use of brickwork and well considered complementary materials work fully within a historic context, yet the building is still very much 21st century, vibrant and exciting.”
Although working on projects like this is an enjoyable challenge, Ron insists that all customers are just as important as each other.
“Everybody’s inquiry is equally important, whether they want a pack of bricks or 100,000 bricks,” he said.
And Ron has a simple message for all that have supported the business and joined them on the journey.
“Thank you,” he said.
