Company Profile

Company History

Electrical Distributors Since 1899

Formed over a century ago in the city of Leeds, Scattergood & Johnson are renowned in the electrical engineering distribution industry for their levels of service and customer satisfaction.

Still privately owned, the company has expanded with branches in Gateshead, Manchester, Glasgow and Sheffield, but is proud to retain its head office in Lowfields Road, Leeds.

With over one hundred years of hard earned reputation behind them, Scattergood & Johnson look forward to serving their customers well into the new millennium.

Over a century of serving the Leeds electrical industry

Scattergood & Johnson was founded over a century ago by Bernard P Scattergood who was previously an electrical engineer with Marshall & Fowler. It was four years later when Claude Johnson joined as partner. Mr Johnson remained with the company for only two years, yet his name remains to this day.

In 1912 JN Hargreaves joined his small business to that of Scattergood & Johnsons' and the company was moved to 7-9 Cookridge Street & Alexandra Street.

Mr Hargreaves' brother was involved with local collieries and Scattergood & Johnson supplied them with all their electrical equipment including Reyrolle plugs and sockets. The company developed and was incorporated in 1924 at which time JN Hargreaves became managing director.

Three years after the war, JN Hargreaves' son, Christopher joined the company after serving a four year electricians apprenticeship in Peckfield Colliery.

The next five years were an uphill struggle, having to rebuild the business from the ashes of the pit nationalisation. In 1953 they were appointed English Electric Distributor, providing the cornerstone of the power and distribution business.

The following year Christopher became managing director and the business moved again in 1956, to 30-31 St. Paul's Street and five years later the company was appointed stockists for MTE Motor Control Gear and once again they felt the need to move, transporting the business to 37-39 St. Paul's Street a little further along the road, in much bigger premises.

Christopher soon became chairman of the company, gaining complete control, and there followed another move in 1966 to Lowfields Road. Three years later his father died and there followed a period of change, seeing first, Joe Wardell and later, George Beaumont appointed to the board.

In 1982 a branch of Scattergood & Johnson was opened in Sheffield. Nowadays, Scattergood & Johnson have branches in Gateshead, Manchester, Glasgow and Sheffield as well as a new head office facility at Lowfields Road in Leeds, built as the platform for business into the second hundred years of trading.