D C Morgan, Builders Merchants, Grays, Essex history page

History of D C Morgan & Co Ltd

The company was started in 1956, as a partnership by Douglas and Jean Morgan, in the dining room of their home in Carlton Road, Grays, Essex. Douglas used to work for a builders' merchants in East Ham and kept his contacts to help start the business. They purchased a site in Foxton Road, South Stifford, which was used for storage then subsequently it became a builders' merchants depot.
In 1958 the company bought the piece of land at Foxton Road and then additional land was rented to give through access from Foxton Road to The Chase (both off London Road, A126), making the site almost 2 acres. The company has owned the whole site since 1999.
In 1963 the firm became a limited company at the request of suppliers and the business flourished.
Later in the 1960s they used a building as an office behind a shop at 36 Lodge Lane, Grays. Gradually the whole site became available. The shop downstairs became a retail outlet and the flat above was converted into offices.
Douglas and Jean ceased to be wholly involved in the day-to-day running of the company in the 1990s due to ill health. Jean passed away on 24th December 2004. Now, sadly, Douglas has passed on too, he died on 25th October 2006. They will be sadly missed by all. Their sons Michael and Gerald are directors in the firm.