Brownings: Celebrating 100 Years in Business

Celebrating 100 years of a business is no mean feat, especially considering how much has changed in that time. Comparing a traditional wooden sign from the 1920s would certainly show the changes in manufacturing when compared to an illuminated or digital sign from 2025.

For Brownings, a lot of its history was initially unknown, until a few chance encounters led staff at the company to investigate the signage manufacturer’s varied history. With the company looking back and celebrating its legacy, SignLink speaks to Brownings about how it has evolved and how the company looks today.

Teething Stages

Following a shared photo online of Brownings staff on a night out, stemming back to the 1950s, memories stated to be shared with people’s time with the company which then triggered a deep dive into Brownings long-standing history in the company.

Known today as a trade-only manufacturer of signage and display products, the company creates a range of products in-house including flex face signs, tension fabric systems, light boxes, snap frames, slimlock notice boards, and more.

Based in Hull, the company started to become the business it is today in 1993 when Stephen Crowley, who purchased the company from Thompson’s Plastics, was appointed director of the business. Following a series of partnerships and product deals, Brownings (known at Brownings Plastics pre-2005) formed the product line and services it offers today.

After the team at Brownings began to research their long history, the son of a former employee named Robert Holden come to Brownings with the sad news his father had passed away. While sorting through his belongings, Holden’s son found a variety of documents showing his Father’s history with the company, including his job acceptance letter from 1948.

The letter was signed by the founder of Brownings, Walter Willoughby Browning who founded the company in 1925 as Browning’s Dental Laboratory. The establishment of the company was evident by copies of a magazine called Flash, which was first published in 1950 and mentioned the 25th anniversary of the business. The magazine was made in order to keep Brownings staff in the loop with the latest news.

At this stage the company was making moulded dentures for the detail industry and started with Browning and two employees who crafted teeth until the market began to fade in the 1950s.

Thanks to his involvement with the Scouts, who he’d give tours of the lab, Browning was asked to make replica bones for first aid training due to the scouts having to use sticks instead. Browning then invested and patented a material called Plastifol which was apparently perfect for making fake wounds which were used by the British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, and even the Ministry of Defence.

When you look at what Mr Browning did, when he saw an opportunity to diversify, he jumped at it and put all his effort into making it work. We've unknowingly continued to do that throughout the years

Plastifol then led to a new line of practical joke products after an employee was experimenting with making a fake fried egg with the Plastifol material. The joke products were sold all over the world until new safety rules meant that “stick-and-lick” products were no longer sellable.

Amazingly the fake wounds were still sold until 2021 when Pauline Yapp decided to retire after an amazing 51 years with the company. The 1950s also saw Brownings become the first official distributor of Perspex in the UK which led to the company producing everything from machine guards to leaflet holders. At this time Brownings had over 150 staff across six sites in East Hull.

In 1968 Browning passed away at the age of 63 and was commemorated in the local paper for his services to the community. A woodland that Browning donated to the scouts was named Brownings Plantation with a trail running through it called “Wally’s Way”.

A New Era

Following the passing of Browning, the company was taken over by Bill and Cath Sturdy, who worked for the company, before the business was overseen by a number of parties including Thompson’s Plastics.
Between 1993 and 1994 Steve Crowley took over reins of Brownings and started a new chapter for the business which has led Brownings to where it is today.

After resigning his role of director on December 31st, 2006, Crowley was succeeded by Michael Gentle (managing director), Dean Harrison (production director), and Richard Vincent (sales director) who are still with the business today.

After securing a partnership with SignComp Europe, Brownings become an official distributor and converter for flex face signage systems. Speaking to SignLink, Vincent says: “After the deal with SignComp, we’ve not really looked back, especially as we’re considered SignComp’s biggest customer and their only distributor.”

After producing flex face systems, the company brought on poster frames through a deal with Signwaves which led to Brownings acquiring the licensing and the rights to its 25mm and 38mm posters frames and various other products. In 2012 Brownings then started to explore the textile market by exploring different product options which eventually led to it providing its own version of the Tension Fabric System (TFS) which it named TexSign.

Speaking about the want to grow and diversify, Vincent says: “When you look at what Mr Browning did, when he saw an opportunity to diversify, he jumped at it and put all his effort into making it work. We've unknowingly continued to do that throughout the years.

“It’s an interesting growth and transition that we've had over the past 100 years, and ultimately we're just the current incumbent. The business will see us out for another 100 years, hopefully, and who knows what it will be after that.”

When it comes to how the company operates today, Vincent says that Brownings prides itself on its customer support and its quick turnaround on quotes. “It's always been my belief that if we're first back to a customer with a with a price, then that enables them to be first back to the end client with a price which hopefully puts them in the driving seat to win the work,” adds Vincent.

Vincent emphasises that the core values of the company are instilled into everyone in sales and production leading to an excellent workplace atmosphere and colleague retention rate. “They may not know what Brownings is when they first join us, but the fact we’re an EOT (Employee Owner Trust) shows that we make sure we go that extra mile to look after our staff and make them a part of the family very quickly,” says Vincent.

When it comes to the future of the company, Vincent says that Brownings continues to see the increasing relevance of its products, especially as solutions like flex face signs are made to last and are becoming increasingly important when cutting through against the digital noise we see on a daily basis. Vincent also highlights the recent news that furniture retailer, MFI, is set to return to the high street as a good signal for flex face signs, as the solution was highly used by brands like MFI in the past.

MAGNWALL is also one of Brownings’ latest offerings which is a unique technology which allows for the magnetic positioning of lights, monitors, and shelves for use in point-of-sale (POS) displays, exhibition stands, and bespoke installations.

Vincent says MAGNWALL has meant Brownings has come out of its comfort zone as the company has had to speak directly with end-users as the product is quite a unique offering. These conversations have worked out in favour of Brownings’ clientele as it has been able to liaise with customers and then offer the MAGNWALL product and project specification to the client’s local signage provider.

Vincent concludes: “We're so grateful to have the customers we have, they are very loyal, and we appreciate working with them. We don't take anybody for granted because you're only as good as your last delivery. I'm coming to the end of my term, hopefully retiring in the next six to seven years, so I’m just trying to pass the information on to Brad (Bradley Robinson, sales and marketing manager) and the team so they can carry on the baton. But I don't think I'll completely let this industry go because, ultimately, it's in my skin.”

Statistics

23 – Employs 23 members of staff
1925 – The company was founded
as Browning’s Dental Laboratory
2007 – The business officially rebranded
from Browning’s Plastics
13,000sq ft – The size of Browning’s
premises based in Hull