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However, although the company was large, it was not a truly national firm, and never had more than about one per cent of the market. In 1927, the factory packing areas were air-conditioned, enabling sweet packing to continue in all weathers. Sweet wrappers were introduced in the early 1920s, but this process was undertaken by hand until the first wrapping machines were introduced in 1928. 1500 people were employed in 1929.
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By the early 1920s average turnover was £570,000, representing 650 tons of chocolate and 1,500 tons of sweets, with a range now including
Christmas boxes and Easter eggs. There were 1,700 employees, mainly female, with many more employed on a seasonal (especially pre-Christmas and pre-Easter) basis.
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An increasing demand for sweets led to a decline in the wholesale operation, which ceased by 1912. By this time the product range included 576 lines, including 74 in chocolate. A new chocolate plant began operations on the same site in August 1916. Turnover, which was £95,000 in 1913/14, peaked at
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There were many firms of this type in Hull at the time, usually operating within a geographical range determined by the stamina of their horses. Frederick
Needler soon moved into wholesaling, occupying various premises to the north of Paragon Station until he bought 9 and 11 Spring Street in 1898,
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In 1958 Needlers became a publicly quoted company, although the
Needler family retained a controlling interest. Percival Needler retired in 1970, age 70, and was succeeded by his son Raymond as Managing Director. He immediately bought the London-based toffee manufacturers Batgers, known for their
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In 1899–1900 there was a turnover of about £15,000 and profit of £781 (about 5%). Production had reached about ten tons per week. There were ten female and twenty-three male employees producing over two hundred different products, chiefly boiled sweets and toffees. The company also acted as
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in Hull. In about 1886, using money from his mother, he bought this business for £100. He moved the premises to Anne Street, where he is known to have had two staff — a sugar boiler and a boy named Watson. They had a horse and cart for making deliveries.
171:, when the directors were Fred Needler (at £250 per annum), Alfred Thorpe (£160), and Joseph Cooper Wilson (£140). There were 6,000 shares, of which 5,416 were owned by Frederick Needler, and 1 by his wife. The first minute books also date from this time.
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In 1938, the company's chemists found a way of producing clear or Glace fruit drops — an area in which the company was to have little or no competition until the mid-1960s. Consequently, the emphasis of production shifted away from chocolate (where
293:, to Blue Bird Confectionery, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Jack Chia-MPH. The company was renamed 'Needler Blue Bird Confectionery' in 2000. In 2001 Jack Chia-MPH entered into negotiations to sell the subsidiary, and the sale of Needler Blue Bird to
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own brands. Chocolate production, which was heavily loss-making, was ended in 1976, when production was concentrated on Glace fruits and toffees. In 1980, Dickson Orde and Co., a small confectionery manufacturer based at
213:, from which he died on 30 September 1932, age 67, leaving £147,956. He had become well known as a strong supporter of the Liberal cause, and as a local benefactor — including the gift of a house in
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Needlers was badly hit by the depression, the worst year being 1931 when turnover was £328,000 and profits just £5,000. This coincided with
Frederick Needler's deterioration in health with
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Until 1918 goods were delivered locally by horse and cart or van, and nationally by rail. Increased volume necessitated a fleet of delivery vans working from Hull, and from rail depots in
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dominated) towards sweets. Sweets (and their raw materials) were rationed between 1941 and
February 1953. Thereafter, demand — particularly for Glace fruit drops — shot up.
202:. There were forty vehicles by 1927, each with a chocolate-brown livery for advertising purposes. In 1950, rail distribution was abandoned in favour of road following the decision by
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123:, on 12 December 1864. The family name appears to have been mis-spelt, as Frederick was the son of George Needley, a paint-factory employee, who died from
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In 1906 new larger premises were built on
Bournemouth Street off Sculcoates Lane in Hull. The move was accompanied by a change in name to
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to move into lump shunting (which resulted in large-scale breakages of chocolates). In 1965 there were still fifty vans and drivers.
135:, he is described as a grocer's apprentice. At age eighteen, he became a bookkeeper to Edward Buckton, who had a small manufacturing
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164:. In marketing terms, growth was greatly helped by the switch from green to clear glass jars, thereby improving the appearance.
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301:, Hull was subsequently closed, the site of the factory was redeveloped as a housing estate, 'Needler's Way'.
131:. His first job in about 1878, at age fourteen, was in a tea and coffee warehouse in High Street. In the 1881
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was introduced as early as 1911, there were good social and sports facilities and a mixed-voiced choir,
289:. Raymond Needler retired in 1987. In 1996, Needler's was sold by its owner, the Norwegian company
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Needler's owes its existence to
Frederick Needler, who was born at Arnold, Skirlaugh, near
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in
September 1872, age 37. Frederick attended St John's School, Newland, in
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356:"Humble beginnings of family firm that grew into a major employer"
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The company was well known for its fair treatment of employees.
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225:. He was succeeded as Managing Director by his son Percival.
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Sweet Talk, Whittaker, Nicholas, Orion Books, London, 1998.
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Singapore group, Jack Chia-MPH unit buys UK confectioner
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which is when company records started to be produced.
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1886 (approximately; purchase of predecessor company)
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A Local
History Walk around Stepney & Sculcoates
167:The company was incorporated on 27 October 1902 as
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322:. USA: University of Chicago Press. p. 88.
378:, Europolitics, 24 January 1996, archived from
425:, William Reed Business Media, 1 December 2001
546:Confectionery companies of the United Kingdom
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217:to be used as a student hall of residence (
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526:1886 establishments in the United Kingdom
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541:Defunct companies of Kingston upon Hull
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297:was completed in 2002. The factory in
152:wholesalers for other brands, such as
266:) were opened up for the first time.
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285:In 1986, the company was bought by
281:Sale of company; post-sale activity
245:"Jersey" brand, and for producing
99:was a sweet manufacturer based in
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401:"Ashbury Buys Needler Blue Bird"
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531:1880s establishments in England
444:"Hull factory set for closure"
1:
419:"Ashbury set for Needler buy"
221:) for the newly established
277:, was established in 1925.
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484:Needler, Raymond (1993).
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536:Brand name confectionery
498:East Riding of Yorkshire
320:Diet for a large planet
223:Hull University College
275:Needlers Music Society
54:1906 (name changed to
48:1902 (incorporated as
318:Otter, Chris (2020).
295:Ashbury Confectionery
382:on 18 February 2013
211:Parkinson's disease
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450:, 16 February 2002
362:, 13 February 2002
287:Hillsdown Holdings
179:£664,000 in 1920.
117:Kingston upon Hull
105:Hillsdown Holdings
101:Kingston upon Hull
75:Kingston upon Hull
510:978-1-872167-55-8
407:, 26 January 2002
329:978-0-226-69710-9
169:Fred Needler Ltd.
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486:Needlers of Hull
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490:Hutton Press
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429:18 September
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386:18 September
384:, retrieved
380:the original
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219:Needler Hall
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71:Headquarters
66:Fred Needler
56:Needler Ltd.
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264:Middle East
247:Sainsbury's
520:Categories
448:The Grocer
423:The Grocer
405:The Grocer
305:References
299:Sculcoates
215:Cottingham
196:Nottingham
192:Manchester
235:Rowntrees
162:Rowntrees
107:in 1986.
97:Needler's
19:Needler's
494:Beverley
262:and the
231:Cadburys
154:Cadburys
33:Industry
502:England
479:Sources
252:Farnham
200:Grimsby
125:typhoid
121:England
111:History
85:Website
79:England
63:Founder
43:Founded
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256:Surrey
188:London
133:Census
468:(PDF)
291:Nidar
506:ISBN
504:).
431:2012
388:2012
324:ISBN
239:Mars
237:and
198:and
160:and
158:Frys
129:Hull
254:in
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