The company began in 1797, when the Benjamin Ingram company of joiners and carpenters was founded at Beech Street in London. Benjamin Ingram subsequently merged with Perkins to become Ingram Perkins in 1850. Ingram Perkins then merged with Sandell Smythe & Drayson in 1970 to form Sandell Perkins. Sandell Perkins was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1986, shortly before it merged with Travis & Arnold in 1988, to form Travis Perkins. Subsequent acquisitions have included AAH in March 1994, BMSS in December 1995, Keyline Builders Merchants in May 1999, and Sharpe & Fisher in 1998, Broombys Limited in January 2000, City Plumbing Supplies Limited in July 2002, and Commercial Ceiling Factors in October 2002, Jayhard in August 2003, and B&G in October 2003, Wickes in December 2004, and Tile Giant in November 2007. The company had a particularly challenging time following the financial crisis of 2007–2008; it stopped its dividend and indicated it was open to declaring a rights issue. In May 2008, Travis Perkins invested in online marketplace between tradesmen and homeowners, MyBuilder. In May 2010, Travis Perkins made a successful offer to acquire BSS Group for £553m, and then acquired the remaining 70% stake in Toolstation in January 2012, and the whole of Solfex in January 2013. In November 2017, Travis Perkins sought support from the local community in Pimlico, when the oldest timber yard in the United Kingdom, owned by Travis Perkins, was threatened by closure to allow a housing development to proceed. In July 2019, following a decline in the home improvements sector, Travis Perkins announced plans to demerge Wickes in order to focus on the sale of building materials to the construction trade. In December 2018, Travis Perkins announced plans to sell City Plumbing Supplies and its other plumbing and heating businesses. In October 2019, Travis Perkins announced this decision had been paused. In June 2020, Travis Perkins sought to cut 2,500 jobs under plans to close 165 branches during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
Operations
The company's product lines include general building materials, timber, plumbing & heating, kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping materials and tool hire.
