ONE of the many reasons why HJ Knee Ltd has managed to last 140 years in business is that the company has always moved with the times and made the most of opportunities for growth.

The well-known family-owned independent retailer celebrated its 140th anniversary with a birthday bash at its flagship store in Trowbridge.

HJ Knee started life in 1879 when Henry John Knee (1854-1935) took over his former employer’s premises, Chapman’s, on the corner of Fore Street and Church Walk in Trowbridge.

Henry’s first shop was called Knee’s Ironmongers & Manufacturers and sold a wide selection of things for the house including paints, varnishes, mantel pieces, tile hearths, fenders, fire irons, kitchen ranges, stoves and lamps.

Known by the family as ‘The Governor’, in 1902 he purchased the Castle Factory (now called Andil House) and Brick Factory in Court Street which were used as furniture display rooms. The factory also housed upholstery, soft furnishings, cabinetry and French polishing services, with much of the rest of the premises being used for the removals and storage side of the business.

By the time he died in 1935, Henry had established several stores, mainly around the Fore Street area, and had acquired a substantial property portfolio including several shop sites as well as premises in Bradford on Avon and Melksham.

This was quite an achievement against a historical backdrop which included the death of two monarchs and the social, economic and political upheaval of World War One.

Henry’s son, Hebden Knee (1886-1955), was now in charge of the family business, which became a limited company in 1908.

One of his major initiatives was to diversify the business into the motor trade in 1929. This involved the acquisition of more property and further development for garages, workshops and showrooms, including in Calne and Chippenham as well as the centre of Trowbridge.

The 1940s and 50s saw a period of acquisition and redevelopment for Knees, initially prompted by a devastating fire at one of the stores.

Hebden’s son, John, recognising the opportunities in engineering following the Second World War, laid the foundations for KAM (or Knees Agricultural Machinery) which still exists today as a thriving steel fabrication business, alongside its sister company MAB in Westbury.

A strong entrepreneurial streak runs through the Knee family and, over the years, family members have developed various ventures and played a major role in the business landscape of the South West.

They established business interests in many of the region’s towns and cities, including Malmesbury, Devizes, Warminster, Westbury, Calne, Chippenham, Bristol and Bath.

Business activity during the 1960s to the 1980s ranged from fashion and food to a motor company and funeral services.

Towards the end of the 1980s, the family interests settled on the three sides of the business which remain today: retail; property, from land and buildings acquisitions over the years; and engineering, which grew under John’s efforts.

In addition to John, Hebden and his wife Dorothy had two other children: Noel and Joy. Joy married Gerald Holbrow and their son, Marcus, was Managing Director of HJ Knee Ltd, the parent company of the Knee family businesses until 2018, when he became chairman.

Andy Pickford, the previous Financial Director at HJ Knee, took over as Managing Director in 2018. John’s son, Henry, along with his grandson Richard Knee, are directors of HJ Knee Ltd along with Marcus Holbrow and Ian Vidler.

HJ Knee Ltd continue to operate a range of businesses: on the retail side the focus is on their busy Malmesbury store, a family favourite on Malmesbury High Street since the 1950s, and their new, modern flagship home and electrical store at Spitfire Retail Park in Trowbridge.

The company moved from Trowbridge town centre to the Bradley Road premises in 2014 as part of a response to changes in the retail landscape.

At the same time, Knees moved from being a store known to ‘sell everything’ to specialising in a simplified range of premium products for the home.

The firm's retail dirctor Ian Vidler said: “Our key product ranges are now large and small kitchen appliances, home furniture and accessories.

"In recent years,the other major shift has, of course, been to introduce online purchasing.”