Selco was originally formed as Sewell & Co (Timber) Ltd in 1895. From a small, family owned business in Birmingham. The company has now become a fast growing, highly competitive, and highly respected trade only builders merchants with branches spanning four regions in England and Wales, and plans for further growth.
Move your mouse over the Selco History timeline below to see more detail about our history and continued growth.
Selco continues to grow in 2013 with two new branches at Old Kent Road and Wimbledon. This gives us 18 branches all serving the London area.
New Selco branches open up in Hanworth and Tottenham. Selco now have 16 branches within the M25, serving the greater London area.
Selco Builders Warehouse continues to grow, opening up new branches in Catford, South London and at Slough in Berkshire. The existing Swansea brach also relocated to new larger premises and the Minworth branch in Birmingham relocated to new premises at Tyburn in Erdington.
Selco Builders Warehouse continued to grow, opening a further three new branches in Romford (East London), Nottingham (the first branch in the East Midlands) and in the Ruxley area of Sidcup, in South London.
2008 saw Selco moving further across the country, opening up in Leeds and Bradford as well as at Ardwick in Manchester.
New Selco branches open up in Kingsbury, Southall and Cricklewood, all in North London. Selco now has 10 branches within the M25, serving the greater London area.
Selco expands its geographical coverage to include the North West, opening up in Baguley and Ashton Moss in Manchester. Selco also opens up in South Ruislip in North London, Charlton in South London and Reading. Tyseley (Birmingham) branch undergoes a complete refurbishment and a 10,000 square foot extension is added.
Selco Enfield and Selco Hanger Lane both open their doors to the trade, taking the number of Selco branches in Greater London to five.
Selco opens at Barking in North East London. Selco's Cardiff branch also relocates to new larger premises, doubling in size.
Selco opens in Croydon for the first time and its Stirchley branch in Birmingham relocates to new larger premises, doubling in size.
Selco opened up its first branch in London at Walthamstow in North London.
Selco opens up in Dudley, the first Selco store in the Black Country and at the time the fourth in the Midlands.
Selco opens up a third store in Birmingham, this time in Tyseley, south Birmingham.
Selco is purchased by merchanting and DIY group Grafton Group Plc.
Selco opens up for the first time in Bristol, continuing it's expansion into the South West.
Minworth branch in Birmingham relocates to larger premises from the Fort Industrial Park.
Selco continues to expand into Wales, opening up in Cardiff.
Selco expanded, opening it's first store outside of the Midlands in Swansea, South Wales.
Selco is purchased by British Dredging Plc.
John Taylor, previously branch manager at one of the two Birmingham branches, takes over the company as Managing Director through a management buy out.
Sewell & Co (Timber) change their name to Selco and begin to format a new business model akin to retail cash and carry but exclusively for the bonafide builder.
The Nicholls family, relatives of the Sewell's, become involved in the company and developed the company into a fully fledged builders merchants.
Sewell & Co (Timber) Ltd, a small family business, operated a modest timber mill and caravan fit-out business in Birmingham.
