Managing Director: John Monaghan Ltd 1974 – 1991

Born in 1938 in Sheffield, the son of a miner, John left school at 15 and worked at Newton Chambers as an apprentice brass founder before joining Charles Constantine & Sons, Ironmongers where he learnt his trade, beginning in the warehouse and progressing on to sales. From these humble beginnings comes a remarkable success story.

In 1964 John was offered a directors role in a new start up Ironmongery company, G. Cartwright Ltd in Leeds, his leadership and management skills were soon recognised and he was given the role of Managing Director which he held for several years before leaving in 1974 to begin his own architectural ironmongery business, based in Ossett.

Whilst architectural ironmongery was the main focus of the company John also identified a market for pre-packed ironmongery and in 1980 launched Dale Hardware to specialise in supplying Builders Merchants and DIY outlets.

John fast earned a reputation as a leading entrepreneur in the industry and readily provided support and advice to several other start up businesses at the time, one of which was John Monaghan (Midlands) and in 1990 he entered into a further new venture in the south of England following an approach by John Planck.

John died following a short illness in early 1991 and his brother Bernard, followed by his wife Marilyn continued to build on his ethos growing and developing the business. During this time his sons John and Daniel also had leading roles in the business until their recent retirement and his daughter Frances now heads up the Ossett operation, continuing to trade under the John Monaghan name.