History
Half a Century of Excellence.
Top Brass has been designing, making and fitting from the same town since 1975. Here's how it happened.
Before Contessa
1968
- Geoffery Basset launches ‘All Blinds and Shutters’, specialising in curtain and blind manufacture, contracting work through personal contacts.
The beginning
1975
- The Top Brass curtains factory opens in Hartlepool, marking the beginning of a long link to the town.
- The business continues to grow, and at this point has over 30 employees.
Growth
1975 – 2005
- Footholds established with local authorities and the GLC, while retail outlet growth developed due to contracts with Dorothy Perkins, New Look, Liberties and the John Lewis Group.
- Took over Top Brass, a supplier of beds into the hotel industry. This helped open a new market to the group.
- Extended the group’s knowledge and new contacts acquired through Top Brass to begin the supply of curtains and blinds into the hotel sector.
- Top Brass Contracts incorporated, becoming the focal point of the group going forward, delivering an end-to-end design, production and fitting service for its customers.
New markets
2018
- New markets — student accommodation, retail, and diversification in hotels — and continued working with Accor on its new restructured form provides Top Brass with a significant opportunity over the next few years.
Half a century on
Today
- Still designing, manufacturing and fitting from Hartlepool — for hotel groups and hospitality operators across the UK.
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