Premiere Products

History introduction

The Première Polish Co. Ltd. was established by A.W. Hilltout in 1924 as a manufacturer of wax polish. Based at Oakley Gardens in Cheltenham the company objective is to offer a single source of supply for their UK and export markets supported by the highest level of service and training.

Today, Première manufacture over 100 cleaning and maintenance chemicals and a modern, cost effective range of cleaning machinery and equipment. The company now markets a total of 2500 products supported by professional training, machine service and asset management. Both machine and chemical production plants carry ISO 9002 certification as well as being ISO 14001 certified.

Premiere remains a privately owned family company and continues to develop professional services to provide the highest level of support to its global customer base.

Timeline Key dates and information

Circa 1899 – The origins of the Première Polish Company

The origins of this family firm began in Guelph, Ontario where the founder’s parents, William Hilltout, a civil engineer and his wife Francis, made polish and drew maps of the trails outside the city in order to supplement their income and afford the journey home to England with their seven children.

 

1923 – The Première Polish Co. was founded

The Première Polish Co. was founded by Archie William Hilltout and specialised in supplying the private schools and Universities. The founder's French wife Marie Juliette suggested the company name. The first commercial premises were leased in Bath Street, Cheltenham in 1923 for the sum of £35 per annum.

 

1924 – Ltd.

Première became a limited company on July 2nd 1924 with £50 capital. Some customers later became shareholders and manufacturing of wax polish and cleaning chemicals expanded and a factored range of housekeeping products developed. The company moved to the Alstone Works in Great Western Lane, Cheltenham, located near the Great Western Railway goods station.

 

1957 – Relocation to current premises at Oakley Gardens

A.W.Hilltout continued as Managing Director until his retirement in 1957 when two of his sons, Marcel and André Hilltout became Joint-Managing Directors. This event coincided with a move to Première's present site at Oakley Gardens, Bouncers Lane, Cheltenham.

 

 

1965 The trading name ‘Première Products’

In order to register the trading name Première Products, the French accent had to be removed and as a consequence it was also removed from the company’s name. From this point the business became better known as Premiere Products or simply Premiere.

 

 

1966 – Vanguard Floor Maintenance Ltd. founded

In 1966 a wholly owned subsidiary company, Vanguard Floor Maintenance Ltd. was formed to manufacture commercial polishing machines and vacuum cleaners, directed by Raymond Hilltout. During the next few years the V-Range of rotaries were developed. In 1975 these were replaced by the Valiant. In 1978, Vanguard was fully integrated as a manufacturing division of Premiere and the PV3 range of rotaries were released. To this day machine design and production plays a major role in the company's success both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

1970’s – The Premiere Training Centre

Premiere recognised that the operatives within the cleaning industry were as important as the quality of products and introduced a training school in the early 1970’s. Today the centre offers a wide range of professional and BICSc accredited courses, from its award winning training facility in Cheltenham or at customer’s premises.

1970’s – Premiere enter the export market

During the 1970's the company grew rapidly, widening the customer base and also entered the export market. With the emphasis upon service, innovation and quality, the business became a major force in the cleaning industry. The export market, initially in Europe, expanded to include the Middle and Far East and today covers over 40 countries worldwide.

1981 – Growth & Corporate identity

In the 1980's Premiere invested increasingly in new plant and machinery. The P.V.4 Series of rotary polishers and the vacuum range had established the reliability and durability of the machine range both at home and abroad.

The chemical and janitorial equipment range had expanded to encompass over 1500 products and a single source of supply for the increasingly diverse customer base.

To accommodate the exceptional growth in turnover, the premises of two neighbouring factories were leased. Also the freehold of a substantial section of the site, containing chemical production and warehousing units, was purchased.

1985 – The third generation takes on the challenge

In 1985 Paul Hilltout became Managing Director and in 1987 Chairman, following the retirement of his Father Marcel Hilltout. Over the next few years with increasing returns, the company was able to invest in buildings, plant, machinery and new product development. The company’s environmental policy was formalised and clear objectives set in place.

1990 – Expansion of premises

After a period of sustained growth Premiere invested over £1 million into expanding its facilities to cater for increased and future growth. The current reception building and sales offices were created and in 1992 new warehousing and dispatch facilities were constructed across the centre of the site.

 

 

1996 – New bulk chemical production unit

The construction of a new 5 million litres chemical production unit dramatically increased efficiency and production capacity.

 

 

 

2002 – PV5 Series rotary range launched

The highly engineered PV5 series maintained the quality of previous ranges while utilising the latest technology in roto-molding to produce highly durable and efficient machinery incorporating many additional features and innovations.

 

 

2004 – The Oldfield Laboratory

Since the 1960’s when Edgar Oldfield joined the company to develop and expand the range of professional cleaning chemicals, the company has consistently invested in product development. In 2002 a modern laboratory was constructed to maintain this focus.

 

2004 – Construction of 2nd bulk chemical production unit

This state of art facility with 25 to 30 tonne storage and mixing vessels was designed with the capacity to contain and recycle all rinse materials and further automate the production process.

2006 – Premiere acquires new subsidiary

To complete the range of products and services provided, Premiere needed to supply large end cleaning equipment, pedestrian and ride on scrubber driers and sweepers. Through Premiere FCM Ltd. this range is supported by TecServ, a national service network and asset management system.

2008 – Solution Centre opened

A multi-media centre, built to showcase the complete service provided by Premiere. Integrated into the training facility at the head office in Cheltenham, the Solution Centre allows customers to view, train and test the full range of machinery and equipment.

2009 – The future

Premiere remains a privately owned family company and continues to develop professional services to support the cleaning industry both in the UK and export markets. The business will continue to develop both products and support services, presenting the best value solution to the market.