P.W. Waters Ltd

P.W.Waters Ltd is a 4th generation family run business established just after World War 2 by Mr Percy William Waters, supplying the Waveney Suffolk and Norfolk areas. The story begins when Percy William Waters (DSC) was seriously wounded at the siege of the Libyan port Tobruk and was invalided out of the navy with one of the highest recognition of service, The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). The history of PW Waters dates back over 70 years when many people were trying to rebuild their lives after 6 years of international conflict and a new beginning dawned. Percy and his wife Laura rented a piece of land now known to us as South Lowestoft Industrial Estate, where they set up a small business buying and selling pigs, firewood and logs. Delivery and collections were done by pony and trap. It wasn’t long before Percy was approached by several builders and fish merchants and asked if he was interested in doing work for them. Not long after the couple sold the pony and trap and bought their first truck, and in 1947 PW Waters was established. Acquisition of a small piece of land at the back of Wellington Road in Pakefield was the next step, followed by a second truck. The business slowly expanded and started delivering sand, gravel and moving bricks from the railway sidings. Slowly but surely PW Waters started to grow and a small digger with just a front bucket was added to the fleet and was used in demolition and clearing of sites. The Waters family also grew with the birth of their two children Nevil and Avril, who later joined the business. The family and business then moved to Number 1 Ship Road in Pakefield behind the Ship Pub, and also acquired a telephone with the number Pakefield 96. The number remains with the addition over time of more numbers, it became 4996 and is now 574996. PW Waters became a limited company in 1965 and with continued growth, outgrew its Pakefield site and in the early 1980s P.W.Waters Ltd then moved to Unit 6 Harbour Road Industrial Estate in Oulton Broad and remains there to this day. In 2017 The P.W.Waters Ltd success story is adding new chapters all the time, with growth and expansion of the premise, a new indoor showroom with new products continually being added. There have of course been many changes but much has remained the same, not at least the fact that P.W.Waters Ltd is still a family run company. Now in its 70th Year, three generations have played very active roles in its success and now our fourth generation is set to continue the tradition.