Broughton Removals, the Edinburgh family firm, are blowing out the celebratory candles on their 50th anniversary this year – with their passion and dedication to the industry as strong as ever.
Having grown up with a simple love for drawing removal vans as a boy, it was in 1970 when Sonny Munro set up his dream business with two vehicles – both ‘old bangers’ – originally in the capital’s Broughton Street.
From such humble beginnings, he set out to give Edinburgh a removal company that offered the highest quality service at the best possible price.
Five decades later, Broughton’s vision remains the same, with outstanding customer service from experienced, dedicated removal crews at the heart of their work. Indeed, as their recent rebrand highlights, taking you from A-B with TLC is the ‘Broughton Way’ across their full service for packing, removals and storage.
“The first van was bought for £80 and the second for £150,” recalls Sonny. “I was so proud of myself to have started but they were two old bangers!”
“When I was very young, 8 to 10-years-old, I used to draw removal vans. I loved doing that. Very few people actually get to do the profession they want to do so it was a dream for me. It’s fantastic to still be going 50 years on and I love it to this day.”
“You could have a brand new Jaguar or Mercedes and I’ll look at it and say ‘very nice’ but if I see a lovely removal van I’ll go ‘look at that one!’”
Sonny father’s was a second-hand furniture dealer so he was well used to seeing items moved around back and forth. Pickford’s were the premier player in town in the 1970’s, with around 40 vehicles, but Sonny saw an opportunity.
The Broughton owner adds: “I had a second-hand shop at the time, down in Rodney Street, and I felt physically strong. I was only doing some small removals at the time, but I checked the takings in the shop one day and we had more from removals than we did from the shop. It took a year or two to get going, but I felt there was a market as more people were looking for help to move rather than doing it themselves, which had traditionally been the case.”
The business grew steadily, with repeat business helping bolster the books. Indeed, the longevity of Broughton Removals stems from customer satisfaction and a professional, friendly and efficient service.
Since more than 80% of their trade comes from repeat business or by recommendation, the ‘Broughton Way’ has clearly succeeded. Still family run, with Sonny’s daughter Jo and son Kris now running day-to-day operations, some of Broughton’s team members have been with them for more than 20 years. It truly has been a family effort from the outset with Sonny’s wife, Joan, initially manning the phones from home whilst sons Colin and Simon also made a good contribution to building the business and the brand.
Now they are reflecting on their journey since 1970, complete with a fresh take on their first ever logo, thanks to partnering with Edinburgh agency Brand Oath on their overall rebrand.
“Our customers tell us that our dedication, expertise and TLC shines through,” notes Jo, the company director, who even had a van named ‘Golden Eagle’ in her honour from her loving father. “Whilst no one company is dominant in Edinburgh now, there are more competitors like smaller man-with-vans, so we have to differentiate ourselves as a quality removal and storage company.”
The company’s move into social media within the last year has helped in that regard, appropriately using the #MovingWithTheTimes hashtag to highlight their services.