About Us

Here is how it all started...

Godiva Bearings Ltd., the UK’s premier Trade only distributor of Bearings and related products to the Bearing Trade, was acquired in an MBO, led by the company’s Managing Director of 6 years, David Harrow back in 2004.

This thriving business was founded in 1977 by Ian Cuthill, who was soon joined by his brother, Paul, to supply Rod-Ends to a Surrey based manufacturer making production machinery. Ian specialised in purchasing the Bearings, and was a formidable buyer, whilst brother Paul, in the early days, was delivering and collecting bearings on his motorbike, but soon it became obvious that his talents lay elsewhere, as he had, and still has a magnetic personality more suited to selling products and communicating with clients.

Initially the business ran from Ian’s home, then from a shop in Ashford which suffered a major flood in 1982 forcing the business to move overnight to new premises in Shepperton, on the same estate as the current Head Office is located. The business specialised in Rod-Ends, Spherical Plain bearings and Needle Bearings, and the early philosophy of Ian & Paul’s to stock in depth and breadth everything that they intended to sell has been developed as the company’s USP ever since, even when more and more products and ranges were added.

The business is now located in three strategic locations, Newcastle in the North East, serving the North of England, Scotland & Northern Ireland, Dudley in the West Midlands whose customers are predominantly located in the Midlands and Southern Ireland, with Shepperton, near Heathrow, serving the Home Counties, South East, South West and East Anglia. The company has developed unequaled reputation for it’s stance of only supplying the Bearing Trade, where other trade suppliers also deal with end users of the products, in competition with their trade customers.

The company has developed an excellent Export business, where again the superb in stock situation means that when immediate delivery is required, Godiva is the supplier of choice. A sourcing department for hard to find bearings has been developed in recent years and has also contributed to the steady growth of the business which has added the comprehensive FAG range of Ball, Roller & Spherical Roller Bearings to it’s portfolio, giving customers a true ‘one stop shop’ for bearings and related products.

Ray Eccleston is on the Board and is able to utilise his 27 years experience in the bearing industry, previously working for BSL and then INA Bearings, the second largest bearing manufacturer in the world, to develop and grow the business over the coming years.

David Harrow, Chairman & Managing Director of Godiva Bearings Group Ltd., said “I have a huge enthusiasm and confidence about this business, as have the whole team here at Godiva Bearings, so it is very pleasing to have completed the MBO, as it positions us perfectly to exploit the massive market opportunities available to us. As part of the plan to maximise the growth in the business we have created a new position and recruited a Business Development Manager, who has vast experience in this type of role, to help us generate new business in existing and new products”.