JOHN PYE & SONS AUCTIONEERS OPEN FOURTH SALEROOM AFTER RECORD BREAKING SUMMER

NOTTINGHAM Auctioneers John Pye & Sons have developed a fourth saleroom at their headquarters in Basford after recording a 145% increase in weekly stock volumes over the summer.

The 42-year-old firm recently came out top in a 20 week analysis of auction stock recovery rates by a leading UK retail PLC that had been using three UK auction houses, including Pyes, for stock clearance exit routes.

As a result of this ‘champion challenge’, John Pye & Sons have been chosen as the exclusive auction house for the PLC’s weekly clearance product lines, which has seen weekly volumes peak to 18 x 40ft trailers of weekly stock transported to the firm’s premises at the old Shipstone’s Brewery.

In addition, John Pye & Sons have notched up a record month of sales for August in the company’s 42-year history, having generated more than £1m for the month with a record number of 15 auction sales held, some 7 of which were exclusively online corporate liquidation auctions both on-site and off-site in addition to the twice weekly traditional auction sales of retail stock. Online auction buyers for these sales have been attracted from all over the UK, as well as Ireland, France, Sweden, Poland and Australia.

The summer growth at John Pye & Sons has resulted in more local Contractors’ work being undertaken at the site (building, electrical, painting & decorating and signage; all undertaken by Nottingham firms) and the recruitment of six additional full time staff for both the company’s salerooms and offices, taking John Pye & Sons full time staff headcount to over 50 employees.

John Pye & Sons’ Saleroom 4 has begun operations with fortnightly online auction sales of retail stock, with the first sale held tomorrow (Fri Sept 17^th) of quality home wares from a leading UK department store chain.

Managing Director Adam Pye said: “We have seen an extensive increase in stock coming through our doors, goods such as laptops, digital cameras and flat panel TVs, these are end of line and returned products sourced from leading retailers.

“As a result of the rise in corporate liquidation auctions over the last 6-8 weeks as well, we are seeing a snowball effect of interest in sales across the board.

“Providing more online auction sales facilities is giving these remote buyers, who are new to Pyes, more opportunity to engage with our weekly sales also.

“The geographical buyer reach on all volumes has pleasantly surprised us, we’ve had buyers from Sweden purchase large high value automotive industrial machinery and a buyer from Australia purchase motorcycle equipment, both from liquidation auctions, showing the internet is all about sourcing goods no matter what size or value.

“We are all working hard towards opening that gateway wider for such offerings whilst maintaining satisfactory throughput for clients and the development of Saleroom 4 will facilitate that process greatly over the coming months.”


Read the Nottingham Evening Post's coverage: http://www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlands.co.uk/latestnews/John-Pye-opens-fourth-saleroom-growth/article-2703846-detail/article.html 

JOHN PYE & SONS WIN PRESTIGIOUS BUSINESS AWARD

John Pye & Sons scoops the Business Award for Best use of IT & Communications for client software solution Assetline.

The 24 hour access online platform provides a transparent and easily accessible path for clients from the UK's Banking, Finance, Recovery and Retail sectors to trace assets and stock from appraisal through to sale.

Beating strong competition at the Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards such as betterlanguages.com and Heart Internet,

MD Adam Pye and Business Development Director Sheldon Miller collected the award from BBC newsreader and presenter Nicholas Owen at the ceremony. The prominent award was one of 6 given out at the recent event held at The Council House in Nottingham.

Adam Pye said "I'm absolutely delighted that we've won - it's a great testament to a family business. But the person I'm really thrilled for is our IT Manager Jeff Foster, who came to us under the YTS scheme 20 years ago."

PYES OPEN DOORS FOR A REUNION OF EX-SHIPPOS STAFF

MORE THAN 100 ex-Shipstone's brewery employees flocked to John Pye & Sons' Head Office on Wednesday June 2nd for a special reunion to see the old brewery site and catch up with past colleagues.

People travelled as far as Devon & Essex to attend the reunion and with nearly 60 years of the brewery's workforce represented, the site was once again filled with draymen, drivers, clerks and estate managers, rekindling bygone days.

Many attendees brought along memorabilia including photographs, staff lists and original Shipstone bottle labels. Two descendants of the founder James Shipstone attended independently of one another, with a wealth of documentation relating to the Shipstone family.

John Pye & Sons MD, Adam Pye, conducted a tour of the site allowing the guests to explore the main offices, busy salerooms, courtyards, as well as parts of the building's cavernous and legendary cellars.

Adam Pye said: "There have been so many fond recollections, it's been quite an emotional community day for a lot of people. Everyone has cherished memories of Shipstone's, recalling a very family friendly company.

"Today has also cast a lot of detail for us, as site owners also, on the history and former workings of the premises and it has really underlined the important heritage of the site and its place in Nottigham's history, which we are proud to uphold."

After working up a good appetite investigating the preserved heritage as well as operations of today's fully functioning and thriving auction house, it was back to the main offices for further refreshments, a buffet lunch and a good old fashioned 'catch up' for old time's sake.

A number of guests have since contacted John Pye & Sons to express their enjoyment of a great day. Guest Margaret Glover said 'A very big thank you for a really wonderful day at your memorable premises...what a good day it was!'

The event was enjoyed by all and many exchanged contact details to reform friendships, some of which had started over half a century ago.

John Pye & Sons are aware many former employees of the brewery have many memories and old photos to share and quite a few ex-employees were not able to attend on the day. Therefore the company has decided to set up an online community forum for ex-Shippo staff to get in touch with one another. Details to follow shortly.

John Pye & Sons would like to thank members of the local media, notably Andy Smart, Bygones Feature Writer at the Nottingham Evening Post, for first following up interest in the suggestion, as well as the BBC and Nottingham Evening Post news reporter Bryan Henesey for covering the event. A detailed feature of the reunion by Jeremy Lewis (Editor) will also feature in an upcoming edition of Nottinghamshire Today, the county's monthly lifestyle magazine and Spyke Golding, Editor of CAMRA's Nottingham Drinker (and one time Brewery Liason Officer for Shipstones) will also be writing a feature.

PYES TO HOLD REUNION FOR EX-SHIPPOS BREWERY STAFF

JOHN PYE & SONS are to hold a special reunion for former Nottingham Shipstone's brewery staff at the historic site on Wednesday June 2nd.

After a Bygones feature of the old Brewery site appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post with an appeal for more recollections from former staff, John Pye & Sons Auctioneers were inundated with expressions of interest.

As a result, John Pye & Sons have decided to open the doors of the old Brewery (now John Pye & Sons auction house) for a special reunion for ex-staff to tour the site, see how it has been regenerated into a thriving auction house and reminisce about the old days.

So far some 40 ex-employees have confirmed attendance, with scores of long term ex-employees set to attend, some with service stretching back as far as 1943.

The itinerary for the day will be as follows:

- 10am - 10.30am: Welcome Refreshments

- 10.30am - 11.30am/12pm: Tour of the 5 acre site with Adam Pye, MD & Principal Auctioneer

- 12pm - 3pm: Reunion buffet and drinks

- 3pm - 4pm: Close.

If you are an ex-employee of Shipstone's 'Star' Brewery and would like to attend please contact Cathy Rowson, Marketing Manager, at John Pye & Sons on 0115 970 60 60 or email cathy@johnpye.co.uk and confirm attendance by 11am on Tuesday June 1st.