Thurlow Nunn Group – A Tale of Family Success

James R Thurlow is a proud 5th generation Chairman and Chief Executive of Thurlow Nunn Group of Companies, a hugely successful supplier of agricultural vehicles and machinery and Vauxhall and Peugeot dealerships across its heartland of East  Anglia.

We recently caught up with James to find out more about how this long established family business keeps its vision for the future and strong roots in the past.

What’s the history of your business?

Thurlow Nunn Standen is a subsidiary of George Thurlow which is part of the Thurlow Nunn Group of Companies.

1875: George Thurlow set up in business in Stowmarket as an oil merchant and engineer. From these humble beginnings, the Company moved into the supply
of steam engines and threshing tackle, then agricultural machinery, to become one of the country’s leading distributors.

1968: John Thurlow (George Thurlow’s great grandson), took over the running of the business when his father died.

1970: George Thurlow & Sons Ltd merged with their neighbouring Massey-Ferguson dealer, F J Nunn and became Thurlow Nunn & Sons Ltd.

1982: The Company purchased a small interest in a Vauxhall garage in Stowmarket which became the starting point for the Thurlow Nunn vehicle dealerships.

1985: Thurlow Nunn & Sons Ltd purchased F A Standen & Sons Ltd and formed Thurlow Nunn Standen Ltd. Today, the Agricultural Division operates as
Thurlow Nunn Standen Ltd (known as TNS) and the Vehicle Division operates as Thurlow Nunn Limited. All companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Thurlow Nunn (Holdings) Ltd.

1989: The company purchased a Vauxhall garage in Dereham and this led to a major investment in the General Motors franchise.

1998: A garage in Holt was purchased which includes a body shop, car wash and forecourt.

2000: The newly built Fakenham garage opened its doors.

2001: The King’s Lynn site was acquired.

2004: The Wisbech site was built during 2004 and opened its doors in January 2005.

2005: The Company acquired a group of dealerships in Great Yarmouth, Beccles, Diss and Norwich, almost doubling the size of the vehicle division.

2012: Two further Vauxhall dealerships in Norwich were purchased. TNS also acquired the AGCO franchise for Norfolk.

2014: The Milton Keynes branch was built during the latter part of 2013 and opened its doors in January 2014.

2015: We added two dealerships and an aftersales centre in Luton and Dunstable.

2019: We added the Peugeot franchise to our Kings Lynn site.

2020: We developed the Approved brand offering quality used cars and smart repair services throughout our network. In 2025 we will celebrate 150 years.

The Vehicle Division trades as Thurlow Nunn and operates from 12 dealerships in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. It holds the Vauxhall and Peugeot franchise as well as operating Motor Factors distribution business.

The Agricultural Division operates from 5 branches in East Anglia: Littleport & Kennett in Cambs, Melton in Suffolk; and Attleborough and Fakenham in Norfolk.

The Thurlow Nunn Group of Companies also includes the Specialist Installations Division (known as SID) based at Kennett. SID plans and designs agricultural buildings and also manages contracts.

Tell us about your background and how you got involved personally?

I left school and joined the family business in 1989. During my holidays I would always spend time in the workshop at our Head office at the time, which
was based in Elmswell Suffolk. I suppose I was always destined to go into the family business; I had little interest in anything but tractors really. From 1989 I worked in various departments learning all the aspects of our agricultural business. I did spend a few years in our vehicle business in the late 90’s finally retuning the Thurlow Nunn Standen as Sales Director in 2000.

How big is the group today and where are you based?

Thurlow Nunn Standen employs 176 people through 6 locations in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. TNS is part of the Thurlow Nunn Group of Companies which employs around 600 people, with an annual turnover of over £220 million and operates from 20 sites across East Anglia.

Who are your customers?

Farmers, contractors, landowners as well as domestic garden and commercial grounds care operations.

What is your company ethos?

Our company mission statement is: To strive, through applying our family values, to be the organisation of choice for our customers, employees and  stakeholders. In so doing, we will provide a sustainable future for all.

What makes TNS different to your competitors?

I am sure we all do the same. We truly care what our customers and suppliers think of us, and we are all proud to be associated with the business.

Who is your inspiration in business?

I suppose my father. It’s a bit old school I suppose but I love the fact he was very principled, and his handshake was his bond.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Knowing I’m part of a fabulous team creating a long lasting legacy.

How has the last year impacted your business?

With the ever-changing rules and regulations, it has been difficult to manage the expectation of employees and customer, however the business has performed well considering.

What are your biggest challenges at the moment?

Product deliveries, pricing and employee expectation are hot topics. We continue to work closely with all those that represent the business and endeavour to give everybody satisfaction from what we do.

How is your industry changing?

As we see farming change this will impact the supply industry. I have no doubt we will continue to see further declines in the numbers of individual farms although the same amount of land maybe farmed but by fewer farmers or should I say farming businesses. We need to adapt our business to navigate these changes.

If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?

I think I would have studied harder at school although I don’t think this would have changed the direction of my working life.

What has been your proudest moment?

Becoming the 5th generation of my family to lead the business.

What is your favourite car of all time?

I’m a massive Porsche fan and have been lucky enough to own a few but my favourite car has to be the Titanium silver Lotus Elise I owned in my late 20’s. Mental and exciting at the same time.

Who would be in the passenger seat with you if you could choose and why?

My little cocker spaniel Noodle. She’s a great listener and seems to enjoy my lame chat.

How and why do you use Witham Group products?

We use Witham’s products in our own workshops and are a distributor of a wide range of agricultural lubricants, from engine oil, to universal and hydraulic oils. We also sell paint and other products like coolants to our customer base. We have know Witham for over 30 years and the reason we use you is that we create a partnership. We are looking for partners in our business not just suppliers and think that is what we get with Witham, plus you’re a family business like ours and
have great ethics and values.

What are your plans for the business in the future?

It has always been our plan to hand the business on to the next generation. We are lucky to have achieved generation 5 (only 13% get to Gen 3) but we now have the 6th generation in the business. My nephew, Will joined the Company 4 years ago and is now Managing Director of our Motor dealership business, Thurlow Nunn Ltd. It’s great to see the business has a strong future.

Visit the Thurlow Nunn Group website here.