Merseyside estate agency celebrates 165 years in the property game
Company has now been operated in the town of St Helens by six generations of estate agents, although founding family expired in 1939.
Many estate agency firms can claim a long and illustrious history in their local area, but Merseyside company JB&B takes the biscuit.
This week it’s celebrating the 165th anniversary of its foundation in the town of St Helens between Wigan and Runcorn by founders Joseph Bithell Leach and Benjamin Leach in 1865.
The agency, which made it from then until 1939 owned by the same family before Wilfred Leach passed away without an heir, says it has survived so long in part by ensuring the local community stays at the heart of the business.
After 1939 it was run by employee Philip Johnson who himself was from a highly regarded family of chartered surveyors and estate agents.
Following the retirement of Johnson, the business was operated in a partnership arrangement with employees coming through the ranks, with current owner of the premises on Hardshaw Street, Louis Rigby, becoming one of the main partners.
He retired in 2005 and Andrew Duncan and Gary Brash took over the reins.
Estate agency
In 2020, St Helens-born businessman and property specialist Dave Roberts (main pic) purchased the estate agency as part of his independently owned Belvoir St Helens property franchise and has sought to modernise the service that it provides whilst retaining much of its traditions.
This includes a long history of philanthropy and supporting local sporting teams in the area.
“The small team at JB&B Leach are often referred to as ‘A St Helens Institution’ not only by the generations of local customers but also by their neighboring businesses and sit alongside some of the larger organizations’ that are synonymous with the town such as Pilkington Glass and Beechams,” says Roberts.
