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COMPANY INFORMATION About FOCUS - A brief overview of FOCUS through the years with key dates and facts |
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| Brief Overview |
| 1987 | Bill Archer and a former business partner acquired Choice DIY Limited, a small DIY retailer with six stores in the Midlands and the North. |
| 1988 | Acquisition of the Focus chain of six DIY stores.All stores were rebranded ''Focus DIY''. |
| 1988 - 1998 | Company had substantial organic growth, expanding from its base of 12 stores to 72 stores. |
| 1998 | Acquisition of Do It All (Holdings) Limited with 139 stores.All stores were rebranded as ''Focus Do It All'' (''FDIA'') and Focus became one of the largest DIY retailers in the UK, with 210 stores. |
| Sept 2000 | Acquisition into the heavy DIY segment with the purchase of Wickes plc and 131 stores. |
| Dec 2000 | Acquisition of Great Mills with 98 stores further strengthening its position in the light DIY segment. |
| 2001 | All
former Focus Do It All and Great Mills stores (other than the seven "No-Frills"
stores) were rebranded "Focus".Wickes stores continued to operate
under the brand name "Wickes". |
| 2002 | Focus Wickes group emerged as the 2nd largest DIY retailer in the UK in terms of turnover and had 430 stores (Focus 291 and Wickes 139). |
| Feb 2005 | Wickes Limited sold to Travis Perkins. |
| Jan 2007 | Appointment of Rothschild to advise the Board of future options for the Group. |
| 26 Jul 2007 | Sold to a company backed by funds and/or managed accounts affiliated with Cerberus. |
| Appointment of Hilco to manage 52 unperforming stores (Tactical Stores). | |
| 11 Oct 2007 | 13 of the previously identified Tactical stores and a further 39 stores (Strategic stores) are sold on to a number of retailers including Homebase, Wickes and Sainsburys. |
Number of stores
Number of stores - 180
As at February 2008
Store Support Centre
Focus (DIY) limited
Gawsworth House
Westmere Drive
Crewe
Cheshire
CW1 6XB
Tel: 01270 501555
Fax: 01270 250501
Key Personnel
Chief Executive
Officer - Bill Grimsey
Finance Director - Bill Hoskins
Brand Director - Richard Bird
Commercial Director - Gary West
Logistics Director - Archie Travers
Business Systems Director - Steve Cosgrove
HR Director - Shelly Thomas
Community Support
The business continues to review its product range making way for up to date and innovative products to meet our customers ever changing needs. As we need to make way for these new products discontinued stock is often donated to community and charity projects. Liaise directly with your local store to be kept informed as and when this activity will happen.





