30 Years of Trafalgar Scientific

Today, the 16th of November, marks a significant milestone for us here at Trafalgar Scientific: it's been 30 years since the business was officially registered. To celebrate our 30th birthday, we'd like to share a bit about how the business came to be and how much it has evolved over the years.

Our founder and Managing Director, Matthew Bramley, initially served in the Met police for around 18 months. Realising that this career path wasn't for him, Matthew took on a role as a sales representative for Appleton Woods, a Laboratory Supplies company that still exists today. It was during this time that Matthew's passion for the industry first ignited.

While at Appleton Woods, Matthew discovered an exciting new product hitting the market—Petrifilm. Recognising the potential of this product and unable to fully explore it in his current position, Matthew made the decision to resign and venture out on his own.

The early days found Matthew in a tiny room on the top floor of a building, equipped with a small fridge, even smaller than the one you have at home. Despite having few customers and little revenue, Matthew possessed a genuine passion and enthusiasm for the product he was introducing to the market. His vision was to support laboratories in optimising their processes and achieving quick but accurate test results.

As time passed, the business began to flourish, and more employees joined the team. After relocating a couple of times around the Leicester area, our home now stands as a 28,000-square-foot storage and distribution facility in Hamilton. The business currently employs almost 70 people, most of whom reside in the local area.

Matthew's passion for the industry remains as strong as it was in 1993. He's not the type of Managing Director to be confined to a desk or boardroom; he regularly hits the road, meeting both new and long-standing clients, helping them solve problems and improve efficiencies.

Our business now supplies a diverse portfolio of products to various industry sectors across the UK and Ireland. We collaborate with many leading brands and manufacturers to bring advancements in products and technology to our customers.

Matthew, our Managing Director, actively supports numerous local businesses and charities, encouraging employees to dedicate time to support them as well. In addition to funding several Christmas presents for a local charity, Menphys, Matthew has also been known to don the attire of Father Christmas and distribute presents in the local area to families supported by the charity

Matthew was recently recognised for his contribution to the industry at the Lab Innovations awards ceremony, being presented with the 'Outstanding achievement' award, voted for by his peers. He was very proud and humbled to receive this award.