Setting the Scene
Lining the walls were the kinds of images that stop you in your tracks: headlines clipped from newspapers and magazines, snapshots of a business writing itself into the story of the industry, one year at a time. Trophies and accolades were displayed proudly, the accumulated silverware of sixty years of doing things the right way.
Outside, a vintage Volvo sat quietly by the entrance, a nod to where it all began, while a horsebox coffee kiosk drew guests in with the scent of something warm and welcoming.
Friends, family, and representatives from across every franchise had all made the journey, filling the room with people who are Holdcroft, the ones who have given it meaning.
Hand Crafted
As guests arrived, each was welcomed with a goodie bag containing something genuinely worth keeping: a commemorative mug, but not just any mug.
Designed by Jon Plant and brought to life by Moorland Pottery, a local pottery workshop, every single mug was produced the old-fashioned way, printed and fired by hand by a small, dedicated team in their workshop. In an age of automation and instant everything, here was a group of craftspeople taking the time to make something properly, one piece at a time. As if holding up a mirror to the roots and values of Holdcroft itself.
The design featured the visuals for ‘60 years on the road’, each icon printed around the mug representing one of Holdcroft's sites, a map of the family manifested in clay.
Alongside these mugs, a beautifully decorated anniversary cake bore the official 60th logo on top, flanked by a fleet of branded cupcakes, because some milestones deserve to be eaten as well as celebrated!
The Story So Far
The afternoon opened with a film that had more than a few sets of eyes glistening.
This wasn't a corporate highlight reel. It was something far more honest, a journey through the years, narrated by the people who lived it. Long-serving members of staff, the kind who carry the culture of a company in their bones, shared memories of how they first came through the door, what the industry looked like then, and what it looks like now. Through all of the change and the shifts in technology, in customer expectations, in the world at large, one thread ran constant: the family feel that Holdcroft has never lost, no matter how much it has grown.
In Conversation
The afternoon moved into a Q&A with some of Holdcroft's longest standing voices with a combined 64 years of service; Chris Greenhall - Managing Director, Luke Regan - Franchise Director at Volvo & MG and Trish Kempson - General Manager at Honda & MG Cheshire Oaks. They spoke frankly about where the industry has been, where it's heading, and what it means to navigate change while staying true to what you are. It was honest, thoughtful, and often funny.
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The Toast
The afternoon closed with Terry Holdcroft taking to the floor.
There's a certain weight to a founder's words at a moment like this. Sixty years of decisions, of risk, of belief, all distilled into a few minutes. He spoke with the kind of quiet pride that doesn't need to announce itself. And when the glasses were raised and the toast was made, to the next sixty years, the room meant it.
Until Next Time
We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us to mark this milestone: the families who have cheered from the sidelines, the franchise representatives who carry the name forward every day, and above all, the people within this company who have made it what it is.
Holdcroft didn't reach sixty by accident, it got here because of people. Hardworking, loyal, passionate people who chose to be part of something and then gave it everything they had.
Here's to the next chapter. We have a feeling it's going to be a good one.
