Fagan & Whalley was founded in 1927 by Thomas Whalley and his son-in-law Sam Fagan.
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Originally based in nearby Hapton, the haulier initially collected coal and distributed it around the village using a horse and cart.
The firm soon expanded into other sectors, serving the area’s textile industry and a local chemical works.
It then became involved in carrying spun yarn from Manchester to the area’s weaving mills, and taking the finished cloth back to the city’s warehouses and wholesalers.
The post-war years saw the company work closely with the Ministry of Supply delivering units for prefab houses.
When the cloth trade started to decline in the 1970s, the company shifted its focus to other sectors, including light engineering.
By 1980, three-quarters of its work lay outside the textile industry, and the company became heavily involved in road haulage for the motor industry in the 90s.
Graham Fagan joined the business in the late 70s and is now operations director. His younger brother Stephen joined 10 years later and is now commercial director.
Graham’s son Daniel is currently working in traffic planning in the office, while daughter Laura is studying for a business degree.
Stephen Fagan’s son Sam is currently taking a transport and logistics course in Huddersfield.