Growth of a Famous Transport Concern
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PrO-DAY the directors of I. W.
Holdsworth, Ltd., are holding a 75th anniversary ball and celebration. at the Victoria Hotel, Halifax. The directors are Alderman Charles Holdsworth (managing), and Messrs. Oliver Holdsworth, Malcolm Holdsworth and Donald Holdsworth. The concern was founded in 1870 by Mr. I. W. Holdsworth, the father of two of the present directors. He was a warehouseman in a Halifax mill. His first • venture was as a grocer and corn merchant. Then, in 1868, he purchased a horsed cart, but the horse died, and he returned to his old job at the mill to increase his savings, and in 1870 was able to buy a more robust animal. His business was still that of a grocer and corn merchant, but in his travels around to collect goods he frequently received requests to bring back loads for other people.
He ,next purchased a greengrocery business in Halifax, retaining his corn trade. His transport work increased to such an extent that he soon devoted the whole of his energies to carrying. When he died, in 1905, Messrs. Oliver and Charles Holdsworth continued the business along with their brother-inlaw, Mr. W. Dean, and they showed their enterprise by being one of the first concerns in Halifax to make use of mechanical transport, both steam and petrol.
During the war period of 1914-18, the mechanical transport side advanced, and the company developed the passenger-carrying side with privatehire trips on both petrol and steam vehicles with detachable bodies; often passengers were covered with soot.
About 1918 a new company, 0: and C. Holdsworth, Ltd., was formed. It used horses for a large amount of private work. Later they were replaced by a fleet of Rolls-Royce cars. In. 1922 a passenger-carrying business was commenced at Harrogate and named the Baton Motor Co. This was sold to the West Yorkshire Road Car
Co. Then came the Hebble Motor Co., the first service being between Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, etc. Vehicles were run to out-of-the-way villages amongst the hills of Halifax, some so inaccessible that many of the older inhabitants had not been out of their immediate surroundings for 50 years.
By 1928 it was necessary to employ 86 buses. Following this success came a further building up of the haulage side, and the purchase of the business of J. W. North, of Bradford, was the first step to a .long series of similar transactions, with the result that the present company, with its many associates, operates throughout the country.
During the recent war their vehicles have run millions of miles and carried many vital loads of foodstuffs, ammunition and war materials. The nightly trunk services ran continuously throughout the war period without one break, despite black-out and air raids, which also reflects great credit on the drivers and mates.