Three generations (l to r): Tony Blaxill, Ben Blaxill and Simon Blaxill (managing director)

Builders’ merchants raise glass to 175th anniversary

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
6.00 AM

Directors of Colchester-based building supplies company Kent Blaxill toasted the company’s 175th anniversary when they met for their first board meeting of the year this month.

Kent Blaxill directors toast 175 years, left to right: Phillip George, Ben Kent, Simon Blaxill, Kevin Sturdy, Liz Cash, Tony Blaxill and John Ford. (Hugh Blaxill was not present)

Three generations of the Blaxill family, all from different branches of the family, still work at the company today.

Simon Blaxill is managing director, Tony Blaxill is a director, and Ben Blaxill has taken on a project to establish central distribution for the company. From the Kent side of the company, Ben Kent and Elizabeth Cash, née Kent, are directors. Simon Blaxill said: “Although over the centuries the company has grown from a small Colchester shop into a multimillion pound business with branches across East Anglia, it still remains a family-run business.”