G F Smith research.

In the 1880's Mr GFSmith (George Frederick) and his brother Mr TJ Smith (Thomas James) ran two small companies from premises in North Church Side in Hull.

Thomas sold cod liver oil and surgical dressings whilst George's company sourced and distributed printing papers.

George had two sons, Thomas Brooke Smith and Horatio Nelson Smith. Thomas Brooke worked with his father and the company became known as GFSmith & Son Paper Merchants, whilst Horatio worked for his uncle (Thomas James) and TJ Smith & Nephew was born.

Thomas Brookes was instrumental in the rapid growth of the paper company, being responsible for sourcing products included traveling to the United States and successfully securing the UK and European rights to sell these exclusive papers from Americas finest paper mills.

In the meantime TJ Smith & Nephew saw a dramatic change in their fortunes during the First World War, supplying surgical dressings and bandages to the British, French, American and Canadian armies. This helped Smith & Nephew on the road to becoming the international pharmaceutical company that they are today.

The War was not so kind to GFSmith & Son. With paper stocks held throughout Europe, which with the advent of War they were unable to access or sell, they were left with a large debt to the American suppliers which they could not pay.

As the American supplier had great confidence in the long term post - war potential of the company and its ability to sell their products, they agreed to take over GFSmith & Son. They appointed one of the Company's managers, a Mr H.E. Thomlinson to act as Managing Director and look after their UK interests. Sadly from that point the Smith family had no further involvement in the Company.

GFSmith & Son was successfully rebuilt and after the war they acquired new premises in Osbourne Street Hull. The larger premises facilitated the growth of the company.

It became possible to convert paper into envelopes, to guillotine and to emboss paper and board as equipment was purchased in the 1920's and early 1930's.

By the start of the Second World War, GFSmith & Son were making quite a name for themselves, not just for their extensive portfolio of papers but also for the extra services such as envelopes and cut sizes they offered from their main Hull offices and from their London sales office.

Sadly the Second World War dealt them another cruel blow. On the 8th of May 1941 the Hull premises were bombed flat by enemy aircraft. Just two nights later the London premises suffered the same fate. The successful company was reduced to rubble. All stocks, records and the majority of the machinery were lost. Thankfully no one was injured. Despite all this Mr Thomlinson was not to be beaten. A temporary office was needed and a private house which was available for rent down Park Avenue in Hull was acquired. The first floor became offices and the garage became the warehouse.

The Park Avenue house was to become the Company's home for the next six years and for the second time GFSmith had to be rebuilt from scratch.

The Company slowly went from strength to strength and despite much of its business being nationwide the company valued its Hull roots and in 1945 purchased premises in Lockwood Street Hull to replace the temporary Park Avenue house. This ex ammunition store was refurbished by the company over the next eighteen months and they commenced operations there in 1947. These premises remain as the Company's headquarters today.

In 1948 GFSmith acquired new premises in London and a period of successful growth followed.

Further turmoil was to befall the company in the early 1960's. The American owners of GFSmith & Son had recently been the subject of a takeover. The result was that the new and much larger organisation wanted to concentrate on the home market and divest itself of the UK offshoot.

In 1963 Mr Thomlinson together with Mr Cyril Stephenson, Mr Peter Frank and Mr Ted Southern, the Company's management team at that time formulated one of the first management buyouts in the UK paper merchanting trade and bought the company from the American owners.

After nearly 50 years the company regained its Independence which it proudly protects to this day.

http://www.gfsmith.com/