HISTORY

Over a century of excellence

Established in 1906, it’s fair to say that we have stood the test of time. Initially run by the Hadfield family, who remained in ownership until 1974, today, we are now privately owned and operate from Manchester.

Explore our journey through the timeline below…

1906

The company was established by the Hadfield family, where we began distributing coal to homes across Greater Manchester. We quickly evolved into a domestic removals facility

1942

In 1942, our company was incorporated as J.H Hadfield & Sons Ltd., and we began venturing into general haulage jobs for clients across the whole of the UK

1950

To meet the growing demands for general haulage services, we expanded our team and quickly became a hugely significant employer in Ashton-Under-Lyne, where most of our team was based.

1960

We won a major contract delivering freezers throughout the UK for Total Refrigeration of Hyde, who handled the ice-cream freezers for Wall’s and Lyons Maid.

1965

We acquired a 70,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Oldham Road in Ashton-Under-Lyne. This became known as Hadfield House and by the mid 60’s was distributing 20,000+ freezers throughout the UK.

1968

The company was approached by the Oliver Rix Group, who attempted an unsuccessful name change to ‘Oliver Rix Transport’ - however this was swiftly changed back.

1970

Business continued to thrive, and we acquired a new 200,000 sq. ft. warehousing facility in Heywood. We also acquired a removal company (Dreamers) and a distribution company (R.B.S).

1975

David Hammond joined the business as a school leaver.

1979

Things were tough! The Winter of Discontent saw the entire haulage industry struggling, and we were no exception. Hadfield House closed down, and we moved the business to Heywood.

1980

The 80’s began as a struggle. After reducing fleet and staff numbers, we were merged into a new business consisting of Oliver Rix and CD Bramhall. This relationship proved to be tumultuous.

1985

Brian Daglish bought Hadfields Transport and we moved back into private ownership. As the 80’s progressed, we won more gaming machine logistics - and things were on the up!

1991

We relocated to Audenshaw, just two miles from our original base in Ashton-Under-Lyne. David Hammond, now 21, ran the business alongside Brian Daglish.

1994

Scott Langridge, not long out of school, joined the business.

1997

Brian Daglish retired, and David Hammond took on ownership of the business, alongside his wife, Jane.

2002

We moved to our current premises in Manchester; the site is 4.2 acres and houses a 70,000 sq ft. warehouse!

2010

The company made massive investments into our fleet, technology and customer service solutions. A strong customer base and a strong fleet set us up for the next decade.

2021

After 41 years of dedicated service, Dave Hammond retired from his position. Scott Langridge, who joined the company in 1994 and progressed through various leadership roles, took over as Director. He now manages the company alongside the rest of the team.

2024

This year, we unveiled our new look! As part of our continuous growth, we’ve updated our branding to a more modern and sophisticated style. The company continues to thrive and expand under the leadership of Scott and Lisa.