A family firm based in Appleby which has been going for at least 200 years is in the running for two business awards.
H. Pigney & Son is a finalist for the agri business and retailers and e-tailers categories of the North West Family Business Awards 2024.
The winners will be announced at Bolton football stadium on 19th May, co-hosted by Dave Clarkson and Sue Howorth, of the Family Business Community, alongside food and drink writer and presenter Nigel Barden.
H. Pigney & Son was founded as a blacksmiths and has since evolved to sell and service agricultural machinery, as well as serving the forestry industry and running a showroom offering garden machinery, agricultural stores, hardware and ironmongery — and running a fuel station.
Records show the Pigney family business goes back to 1824 — and possibly before this, although no written evidence exists. At that time a blacksmith operation was run by John Pigney, while his son Nicholas Pigney is mentioned as the blacksmith at King Meaburn in 1842.
In 1871 Nicholas’s grandson, also called Nicholas, was born and he was to carry on the family business, then known as N. Pigney. His son Henry joined the business in 1931 and ran a blacksmiths out of Crosby Ravensworth, called N. Pigney & Son.
An invoice from 1932 is headed “Agricultural Implement Makers and Dealers, Shoeing & General Smiths”. Henry moved the business H. Pigney to Howgate foot in Appleby, and his son Maurice joined it in 1950, when it became H. Pigney & Son.
The firm moved to its current retail premises in Appleby in 1961 and in 1972 bought the adjoining St Lawrence’s Church School to accommodate a horticultural showroom and agricultural stores.
In 1981, Maurice and his wife Ena expanded into the old Kingdom Hall next to the agricultural stores and a hardware and ironmongery shop was born — a natural development to support the engineering workshop.
In 1997, Maurice’s son David took over the business along with his sister Margaret. In 2002 a purpose built warehouse was built on the outskirts of Appleby to house a growing range of agricultural machinery.
Storm Desmond put parts of the business’s premises under 6ft of water in 2015, prompting a massive rethink over the future. A redesign and expansion of the hardware shop, agricultural showroom and agricultural stores was completed in 2017 and the firm has been going from strength to strength ever since, with David’s children Anna and Chris and Margaret’s son Isaac all involved.
“We were extremely humbled to have been nominated for an award and we are honoured to have been recognised and shortlisted for not one but two family business awards,” said Anna Pigney.
“It gives a great sense of achievement to be part of such a long-standing family firm and when looking back in the archives it is great to see local farm names that are still going strong today.”
“It is apparent there is still a great sense of loyalty and sense of family in the community.
“Some say that you shouldn’t work with family and, although it can be difficult at times, I’m sure none of us would have it any other way — we all have our own roles and, along with over 20 other staff members, it just works.”
Pigneys are looking to celebrate 2024 in style and will be holding an open day and celebration evening on Saturday, 21st September, for all their customers, suppliers and friends.
