Our Story
Many people in Wiltshire, especially in the towns of Trowbridge and Malmesbury, recognise Knees as a family business with a long history as an independent retailer. What people often don’t realise is just how far back our roots stretch. Here’s how it all began…
1879
The early days
Knees 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.
1902
Henry was by all accounts an energetic and determined man who became 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 and for 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.
1935
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.
1940s & 50s
Developing and diversifying
One of Hebden’s 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.
Hebden’s son, John, developed this side of the business further. Recognising both the challenges and opportunities in engineering following World War Two, he laid the foundations for KAM (or Knees Agricultural Machinery) which still exists today as a thriving steel fabrication business, alongside its sister company MAB.
The 1960s to 1980s
Regional commitment and expansion
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 with business interests in many of the region’s towns and cities. Malmesbury, Devizes, Warminster, Westbury, Calne, Chippenham, Bristol and Bath have all benefited from investment and development related to Knee enterprises.
Business activity during the 60s to the 80s 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 Hebden’s son, 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. Andy Pickford, the previous Financial Director at HJ Knee took over as Managing Director in 2018, followed by Ian Vidler in 2022 and Craig Surgey in 2024. John’s son, Henry, along with his grandson Richard Knee, are directors of HJ Knee Ltd along with Marcus Holbrow and Ian Vidler.
The 1990s to 2020s
Retail and online purchasing
HJ Knee Ltd continue to operate a range of businesses, on the retail side the focus is on our busy Trowbridge store. 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. Our key product ranges are now large and small kitchen appliances, home furniture and accessories. The other major shift has, of course, been to introduce online purchasing.
Knees Today
Advancements
We have ambitious plans for the next couple of years. Over the last few years, we have been working tirelessly growing our digital offering and bolstering our workforce to face head-on the challenges of retail, both now and into the future.
In early 2022 we relocated our retail store from our Spitfire Trowbridge store to new premises just 0.8 miles away on the White Horse Business Park.
This move has enabled us to combine our entire retail operation under one roof and help us to deliver a frictionless customer experience by combining a new experiential-led showroom alongside our warehouse and support teams.
Our new premises focuses on showcasing aspirational, investment and lifestyle products across built-in appliances, range cooking and fitted kitchen categories. Online we continue to provide an extended range of freestanding appliances, plus our homeware categories.