Stoodley Pike
Stoodley Pike:
No longer just a landmark
Chris Berry met Richard Walker at his new premises
in Osbaldwick and found a very busy man!
»»There’s a saying that ‘if
you want a job doing give it to a
busy man’ and that could never
be truer than when applied to
Richard Walker. To say that he
runs his own business is an
understatement. He doesn’t
just run it, he drives it like an
express train! He lives and
breathes it and somehow also
finds time to play drums with his
band, to judge sheep shearing
competitions for YFCs, sit on
the sheep shearing committee
for the Great Yorkshire Show
and organises the sponsorship
for his local Acklam Show. I’m
sure there’s more - but that will
do for the time being. I think
he sometimes manages a few
hours with his fiancée, Laura
Stoney too.
Richard talks fast, moves fast
and it is no surprise to me that
with his mental strength, will
and determination he has built
up not just a fantastic trade
since he started in business but
also a great reputation for the
quality of what he provides with
a team of eight staff including
himself, at his two centres.
Stoodley Pike is the more
recent new name for his timber
products company that started
life in 2007 as Agri-Equest when
he rented a little barn from James
Sykes near Cawood. Having
quickly outgrown those premises
he moved opposite the York
Auction Centre in Murton for six
years before shifting very recently
to brand spanking new and much
larger premises that provide him
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with a much larger manufacturing
site on Osbaldwick Industrial
Estate just east of York.
NOW TWO BASES
And that’s not all by a long
chalk! Richard now has two new
bases. The manufacturing site is
the main hub but if you want to
take a look at what is produced
in a more flattering environment
than a manufacturing centre
then his new second site is just
that - at Cascade Garden Centre,
Bishop Monkton near Ripon.
“The past few months when
we’ve been moving from one
place to another has been a
challenging time but we’re now
moving on to that next level and
I have a great team working with
me,” he said. “This is the biggest
and best thing I’ve done with
the business so far. I want to
improve our manufacturing by
making things faster and getting
things out of the door faster too.
Our quality of manufacture has
improved immeasurably and the
new base at Osbaldwick is really
helping already.
“We now supply a number of
agricultural outlets throughout
the north of England including
Carrs Billington that cover most
of the area above us and up
to the Borders; Jameson’s in
Masham; Ripon Farm Supplies;
Greentech in Harrogate; and
most recently Cherry’s in North
Frodingham near Driffield.”
As Richard’s business has
grown, so has his breadth of
customer base. When he started
it was primarily gates that he
was supplying and he still
does, but gates