Ballards Removals and Steeles of Stamford, are each celebrating their anniversaries
Steeles of Stamford is celebrating its 75th anniversary year, and Ballards Removals is celebrating 45 years in business in 2023. Combined, Ballards Group now boasts over 120 years of moving experience.
Lincolnshire brand, Steeles of Stamford was established in 1948 and it is now part of Ballards, which was founded in Nottinghamshire in 1978.
Richard Ballard, Founder of Ballards Removals, said:
“It is quite astonishing to believe that we are where we are today, after founding Ballards Removals over 45 years ago with my wife, Janette.
“From a single basic transit van to a fleet of over 50 vehicles, it’s safe to say that it’s been quite the journey – but we’re definitely not stopping here! My sons, Joe and Matt, plan to take the business to the next level, helping even more customers with their removals and storage needs.
“We were thrilled to acquire the reputable Steeles of Stamford business in 2018. With 75 years of experience, and 120 years combined with both firms, we really are experts in our field.
“Thank you to all of our wonderful customers over the years for supporting our family business and helping us go from strength to strength – we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Ballards Removals was founded in 1978 by Richard and Janette Ballard, starting with a basic transit van and growing the business to a fleet of over 55 vehicles.
In 1989, the firm moved to a ¾ acre plot in Retford, due to a need for more space to offer storage services. In 1992, Richard and Janette bought out two local competitors – providing them with a total of three large vans and two small vans, plus six full-time staff.
In 1997, Ballards moved from Retford to Tuxford with their fleet of six vehicles and a total of 15 staff. After ten years in Tuxford, the firm outgrew their premises once again and acquired land in Markham Moor. 18 months later, the business moved into their custom-built Removals and Storage Hub, where they are located today.
The Markham Moor facility has a large storage warehouse and a large outdoor self-storage space for containers. The hub features high levels of security to ensure that customer’s possessions remain secure at all times.
Richard and Janette are still heavily involved in the business, but have handed over the management reins to sons Matt and Joe.
Matt Ballard, Managing Director of Ballards Group, said:
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating both of these historic milestones this year at Ballards Group. It’s hard to believe that our family business – Ballards Removals – was founded 45 years ago now, by my parents, Richard and Janette.
“Acquiring Steeles of Stamford, an iconic removals firm in our area, has been such a fantastic addition to our business. We are so proud to represent both brands as part of Ballards Group, and are very excited to be celebrating these anniversaries.”
Steeles of Stamford was founded in Stamford, Lincolnshire back in 1948 by Ted Steele. The firm began with an Austin 6 pickup truck, quickly building a reliable reputation for removal and packing services.
In the 1960s, the next generation of Steele’s got involved with the family business – with Ted Steele developing the house removals and storage side of the firm. They then began offering storage in the old brewery building, located in Stamford town centre.
During the 1980s and 90s, the firm continued to grow as Stamford developed into the affluent area that we know today. The business moved into different warehouses in Stamford throughout this time.
The third generation of Steeles then took over, with the three Steeles brothers, Ian, Gary and Carl, overseeing great growth and development. In the early 2000s, the firm designed and built their state-of-the-art warehouse in Essendine, near Stamford.
As the eldest of the brothers approached retirement age in 2017, the firm approached Ballards Removals with an acquisition proposition, which was then agreed in December 2018 – with Steeles becoming a valued part of Ballards Group.
