90 years of beautiful homes

Dobsons was originally founded as a builders and joiners company in 1935. It was set up by Frank Dobson, the Great-Grandfather of the current Director, Helen Dobson. The outbreak of the Second World War began just four years after the company started, during the War, Dobsons provided emergency repairs to London buildings damaged during the Blitz.

After the War, Frank brought his sons Frank and Paul on board, and in time Grandson Nigel and it was they who helped to steer Dobsons through the ‘60s and ‘70s, when they diversified into shop fitting. At that time, supermarkets were being widely introduced to the UK, and Dobsons fitted out many of them in the local area, along with building societies.

In 1980, Frank’s other grandson Tim joined the team and began steering them towards the domestic home improvement company that they’ve become well known for to this day. Tim was responsible for opening the first showroom on site which was a window and door centre, being keen to capitalise on the double glazing boom at that time. Over the next few years, Dobsons introduced roofline and conservatories to their offering, with fitted kitchens and bedrooms being introduced in the early ‘90s.

In the early 2000s, Helen joined the business, and is now the fourth generation of Dobsons to run the company. The company may be serving a very different market to when it first began, but the original ethos of quality work and quality materials combined with great customer service continues to be a key element in Dobsons’ continuing success.

While the company has been steered by the family for four generations, it wouldn’t be as successful without the skills, expertise and worth ethic of the entire Dobsons team. As Helen Dobson says: “We’re so fortunate to have such a loyal and dedicated team, many of whom have been with us for years. Every member of the team is invested in doing an incredible job for our customers. The quality of their craftsmanship is second to none, and it’s clear to everyone that they take great pride in their work. Whether it’s our award-winning design team, our carpenters or our project managers, everyone working on your kitchen, bathroom, renovation, or windows and doors project will make sure that everything is perfect and no detail has been overlooked.

“No matter what their role, everyone at Dobsons is focused on customer satisfaction and it shows in the number of positive reviews, repeat business and recommendations we get.”

Having been based on Turners Hill for the past 90 years, they consider themselves to be an integral part of the Cheshunt community. Helen is particularly passionate about helping her local area and was instrumental in setting up Love Cheshunt, a network of local businesses that have come together to promote Cheshunt and help make it a better place to live. Love Cheshunt organises free events, activities and competitions for children and adults alike, including a free open air cinema this summer.

As part of the 90th celebrations, the Dobsons showroom has just undergone a major makeover. New kitchens and bathrooms have been installed and the shopfront signage has been replaced. They have also got plans to extend the back of the showroom - work will start at the beginning of next year so they can show off even more beautiful room sets.

To celebrate 90 years in business, Dobsons held a birthday open day at the end of September at their showroom. Guests of honour were Paul Dobson, 2nd generation of the Dobsons family who himself turned 90 this year, and the Mayor of Broxbourne, Cllr Patsy Spears. They were joined throughout the day by past and present customers who were treated to live cooking demonstrations hosted by Siemens, a cake decorating masterclass, prize draw giveaways and close up magic.

Director Helen Dobson said: ‘It truly is incredible to be celebrating 90 years of Dobsons. I feel very proud to be able to enjoy this moment with my team and alongside my family. Thank you to everyone who came along and celebrated with us. Next stop 100!’