Management buy-out steers auction house towards bi-centenary.
For more than 180 years, Anderson & Garland has been a familiar and trusted name in the North East auction world and beyond. Despite its long history, Anderson & Garland has shown that being traditional does not mean being stuck in the past. Instead, the company combines traditional values of expertise, personal service and trust with modern technology and new ways of reaching customers.
And, as the company looks forward to its bicentenary, it has new owners leading from the front. Directors Fred Wyrley-Birch and Alison Orgill have purchased the business from previous majority shareholder Julian Thomson. Fred and Alison will now lead the next phase of the firm’s long-term development, while Julian remains as Chairman.
Fred and Alison have overseen a period of sustained growth. They also have vast experience within the company. Fred started life with Anderson and Garland as a porter in 2007. He has worked in every specialist department within the business.
Alison joined two years later and has played a key role overseeing finance, staffing, systems and day-to-day management.
Both have been heavily involved in how Anderson & Garland operates.
“The services we offer have steadily increased over the years and we’ve developed those services to embrace latest technology…traditional with a twist,” Fred Wyrley-Birch said. “We have extensive experience dealing with everything from individual antiques and works of art to jewellery, furniture, watches, collections and the contents of entire houses. Our specialists provide personalised expertise, something that remains just as important today as it was in 1840.”
The way Anderson & Garland reaches buyers has changed considerably. The company was an early adopter of internet marketing and live online bidding, allowing people from around the world to take part in its auctions without having to travel to Newcastle. Today, its catalogues and auction lots can be viewed online with extensive photography and detailed descriptions which help attract an international audience. Buyers from anywhere can now participate, giving sellers access to a much wider market than a traditional local auction could provide.
“Technology has made the valuation process more convenient,” adds Fred. “We offer online valuations, allowing photographs and details of objects to be submitted from home, although we’d always recommend face-to-face appointments and home visits not just when a more detailed assessment is required, but because we really enjoy offering the personal experience. This combination of modern convenience and traditional specialist knowledge means our services are accessible while retaining the personal approach for which we are renowned.”
Anderson & Garland’s work goes far beyond simply selling objects at auction. Its specialists provide valuations for a range of purposes, including insurance, probate, private sales and family division. The company works closely with solicitors, executors and families dealing with estates. Probate valuations can establish the value of possessions when calculating Inheritance Tax and distributing an estate fairly among beneficiaries. The firm’s valuations are prepared with HMRC requirements in mind, helping executors and professional advisers deal with what can otherwise be a complicated process.
“Anderson & Garland is a blend of old and new. Alison and I see ourselves as custodians of a business with an extraordinary heritage and an equally exciting future,” adds Fred. “Our traditions of knowledge, integrity and personal service have been built over generations, while modern technology has enabled us to reach a global audience and make our services easier to access. It’s this ability to respect our heritage while embracing new techniques that has allowed Anderson & Garland to remain an important and trusted auctioneer in the North East for more than 180 years.”
If you’d like to find out what Anderson & Garland can do for you, whether it’s selling something, a valuation, or some simple advice, you can contact them by calling (0191) 430 3000 or visiting their website, www.andersonandgarland.com, where you’ll find further information and details of how to email them.
Or why not pop into their showroom at Westerhope, on the outskirts of Newcastle.
