MenuCoffin Manufacture ceases.
our long history has shaped who we are
and what we believe in today.
Our experience, in-depth market knowledge, and continual investment in infrastructure, people and machinery has produced a solid financial and ethical foundation from which to grow. As a family business our long-standing commitment to customer service has enabled us to develop into a company who always puts customers first.
1897
Frank Gaunt Senior becomes apprentice joiner and cabinet maker to George Taylor.
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1909
Haigh & Gaunt partnership dissolved. Frank Gaunt - joiners, undertakers and cabinet makers established in the village of Shelley, 6 miles south of Huddersfield.
1919
The business moves to larger premises located at 150, Penistone Road, Shelley.
1932
The business expands employing up to 20 joiners with many contracts with local textile mills maintaining buildings and machinery.
1937
Frank Gaunt Jnr joins his father in the business at age 16.
1945
Trevor Metcalfe, aged 14, becomes apprentice joiner to Frank Gaunt.
1946
Business is renamed Frank Gaunt & Son.
1952
A second premises is bought, Brook Street, Huddersfield, which is used solely to manufacture coffins under the trade name Huddersfield Funeral Supplies.
1954
Trevor Metcalfe returns from National Service to become sales representative for Huddersfield Funeral Supplies, moving on to become General Manager.
1956
Huddersfield Funeral Supplies moves to larger premises at Viaduct Street, Huddersfield.
1964
New purpose built factory opens at Crosland Road, Huddersfield. Business incorporates into a Limited company—Funeral Supplies (Huddersfield) Limited—with Trevor Metcalfe becoming a shareholding director. Further investment sees the installation of a multi—daylight veneering press.
1967
Stephen Gaunt (Son of Frank Gaunt Jnr) joins the business.
1971
Installation of the first synthetic veneer laminating line to press PVC foils.
1972
Introduction of trade name, Decorative Panels, under which laminated board materials are supplied to the furniture and allied industries.
1973
Lamination commences of the first heavy weight post impregnated paper foils by Decorative Panels.
1975
Short cycle through feed press added to existing roller laminating line.
1979
Christopher Gaunt joins the business.
1980
Flat Pack furniture business, Astra Pack, started in Wigan, Lancashire.
1982
Guy Metcalfe joins the business working at Astra Pack.
1985
First Hymmen hot roll laminating line installed in Huddersfield giving huge increase in output and improvement of quality.
1985
The manufacture of component parts begins.
1989
Changes are made in the Board of Directors:
Trevor Metcalfe - Chairman
Stephen Gaunt - Managing Director
Christopher Gaunt - Financial Director
Guy Metcalfe - Sales Director
1990
Company name is changed to Decorative Panels Limited. Completion of additional factory buildings doubles space availability enabling significant growth.
1992
First wide Hymmen hot roll laminating line installed to satisfy Decorative Panels growth.
1993
Two further sites in Huddersfield (Milnsbridge and Longwood) acquired to facilitate expansion.
1999
Coffin Manufacture ceases.
2001
The Company is split into:
Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd
Decorative Panels Lamination Ltd
Decorative Panels Components Ltd
Decorative Panels Lamination opens the site Lowfields I—a state of the art manufacturing facility—and install a second wide Hymmen hot roll laminating line.
2002
Phil Dalton (Son in Law of Stephen Gaunt) joins the business.
2006
New Head Office building opened next to Lowfields I.
2007
Installation of sheet hollowcore board production line to produce dp-lite.
2009
Decorative Panels Group acquires flat pack furniture business in Teesside and rename it as Decorative Panels Furniture Ltd.
2009
Decorative Panels Lamination installs a Hymmen high Gloss lamination line.
2010
Decorative Panels Furniture open the site Teesside II doubling available production.
2011
Charlotte Metcalfe (Daughter of Guy Metcalfe) joins the business.
2012
Decorative Panels Components open the site Lowfields II—a state of the art manufacturing facility.
2013
Group Marketing Suite opened on the Lowfields II site.
2014
DPF see capital equipment investment in a new high speed first and second pass edgebanding line, a full extraction system to Factory 1, a shaped panel production cell, further drilling equipment, enhancements to online printing on all packing lines and two state of the art fully automatic precision measurement tables.
2014
The Prime Minister, David Cameron calls to see The Decorative Panels Group.
2014
DPC install another automated Biesse Stream Edgebanding Line increasing capacity to over 600,000 panels per week.
2017
dp-limitless is launched. A bespoke flat sheet laminating line is added to the dp-specialist products production hall. Any surface, any substrate and any volume – the only limit is your imagination.
2017
DPF install a state-of-the-art new Weeke 800 drilling line with an automatically fed and stacked line comprising of two high power in-line drills for maximum throughput efficiency. In addition, a splitting unit is included to enable double output on smaller panels.
2018
DPC install the ultimate fully automated edgebanding line - dp-seamless - measuring 59 metres. Panels are automatically fed, sized, edgebanded all round through linked first and second pass machines, grooved if required, cleaned and then automatically stacked at speeds of up to 32 parts per minute. A further single sided dp-seamless line is installed to facilitate small panel manufacture.
2020
DPL begins partnership with Biomaster - offering an increased range of antimicrobial surface finishes within their portfolio.
2020
DPC invests in an additional double sided Biesse Stream 2nd pass edgebander.
2020
DPF install a brand new Homag double sided edgebanding line.
2021
DPC complete a 40,000 ft2 extension to their existing 175,000ft2 site.
1897
1897
1897
1932
1932
Family run since 1907
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