Our History

A snapshot of the history of Marshalls

Our story began in the heart of Yorkshire in the 1890s, when Solomon Marshall laid the foundation for what would become Marshalls and Sons. In 1904, we officially incorporated as a limited company, marking the beginning of a legacy.

By the 1950s, we’d introduced bespoke wet presses and, in 1961 we opened our in-house testing laboratory. This commitment to innovation continued in 1974 with the introduction of block paving to the UK which remains the leading choice for residential driveways.

In 1990, we reached a significant milestone by supplying stone to Islington, earning us the distinction of having contributed to every location on the Monopoly Board. To celebrate this achievement, we created a special edition Marshalls Monopoly Board.

Over the years, our portfolio has expanded through strategic acquisitions including Edenhall, CPM, and most recently, Marley - a roofing manufacturer with a century-old British heritage.

Today, 98% of our products are made in Britain*, reinforcing our commitment to local manufacturing. This allows us to offer customers a greater selection of British-made products while helping to keep carbon emissions associated with transportation to a minimum.

Our recent £24 million investment in a new dual block plant in Cambridgeshire underscores our dedication to sustainability and efficiency and highlights our continued commitment to manufacturing in Britain. This state-of-the-art facility enhances product availability and reduces reliance on imports.

For the past 130 years, we’ve been building on solid foundations. We’re still known for supplying landscaping products, but we’re now known for building and roofing materials, too. But, whilst we’ve broadened our focus, we’ve remained faithful to Solomon Marshall’s original principles. We strive to operate with the highest ethical and sustainable standards, continually working to create better places by prioritising people, communities, and the environment. 

_{*Based on tonnage sold in 2024 across our full product range}

Marley acquisition

In April 2022, we acquired Marley. A leader in the manufacture and supply of pitched roof systems, Marley is the perfect fit for Marshalls.

Like Marshalls, Marley has a rich history and depth of expertise. The Marley Tile Company was founded in 1924 by Owen Aisher, who is responsible for the development of concrete roof tiles in Britain in response to the short supply of roofing materials following WW1. Today they are a UK leader in their field, manufacturing products such as concrete and clay roof tiles, roof fittings, timber battens, roof-integrated solar panels and roofing accessories.

As we continue with our integration programme to bring Marley into the Marshalls group, the majority of information on this site remains focussed on Marshalls only.  

For further information on Marley, please visit their website.