25 Years of Garland UK
This year marks a significant milestone for Garland UK as we celebrate 25 years of delivering roofing and building envelope solutions across the United Kingdom.
What began in 2001 as a small operation has grown into a national organisation trusted by building surveyors, architects, contractors and property owners to protect thousands of buildings across sectors, including education, healthcare, commercial and public estates.
But while the company has grown, the philosophy behind Garland UK has remained remarkably consistent. As Founder and Managing Director, Tim Jones reflects,
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When I think back to those early days, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come. Garland UK today is a national organisation with an outstanding team and thousands of successful projects behind it, but the principles that built the company are exactly the same.
The opportunity that started it all
The story of Garland UK began with an opportunity and a belief in people.
Before launching the UK business, Tim had worked for Garland in Canada as a sales representative. When his family decided to return to the UK, he reluctantly left the company. Soon after, Garland Industries Chairman David Sokol approached him with a proposal to establish Garland’s presence in the UK.
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Garland had given me an opportunity earlier in my career that changed my life, so when the chance came to build Garland UK and create those same opportunities for others, it felt like something special.
— Tim Jones
At the time, the UK construction industry operated very differently from today. Specification-led roofing support was less common, and many roofing systems were supplied without the level of technical partnership that Garland believed was essential.
Garland UK set out to change that.
From the beginning, the business was built on a simple principle: deliver long-term roofing solutions supported by expert technical service and genuine partnership with clients.
Starting from the ground up
The early days of Garland UK were humble.
The company operated from a 2,000 sq.ft warehouse, with little more than a desk, a fax machine and a determination to succeed. Tim remembers those first months vividly.
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I painted the building myself. I laid the carpet myself. When the first delivery of roofing materials arrived, we didn’t even have a forklift, so we unloaded the truck by hand.
— Tim Jones
But what Garland did have was something more important: a culture that believed in supporting people and building long-term relationships. Those principles quickly became the foundation of the company.
Building trust across the industry
With no established presence in the UK market, Garland’s early growth came from persistence and relationship-building.
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There was no blueprint for how Garland would operate here. The industry was different compared to our sister companies in the US and Canada. Procurement routes and the typical building stock were different. So we did what Garland has always done, we met people, listened carefully, and worked hard to solve their roofing problems.
— Tim Jones
In those early years, Garland began working closely with building surveyors, architects and contractors, delivering smaller pilot projects that demonstrated the company’s approach to service and technical support.
What followed was a steady growth in trust.
‘Once clients experienced the level of service we provided, those first small projects quickly led to larger opportunities. Relationships developed, and that trust became the backbone of Garland UK.’
A service-led approach to roofing
Over the past 25 years, Garland UK has expanded its expertise to deliver a comprehensive range of high-performance roofing and building envelope solutions. Today, the company supports clients with systems that include advanced bituminous waterproofing membranes, cold-applied liquid waterproofing, standing seam metal roofing, green roof technologies, and integrated solar PV solutions.
These systems are designed not simply as individual products, but as carefully engineered solutions that respond to the specific needs of each building. By combining technical design, quality materials and expert installation oversight, Garland ensures that every system is built to deliver reliable long-term performance.
But while the technology has evolved, Garland’s defining characteristic has never been its products alone. It has always been service.
Every Garland project is supported by a dedicated Technical Manager, providing clients with a single point of contact from initial survey and specification through to installation and long-term maintenance.
This approach ensures that roofing systems are designed correctly, installed to the highest standards, and supported throughout the life of the building.
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We’ve always believed that the real value of a roofing system isn’t measured on the day it’s installed, it’s measured over decades of performance.
— Tim Jones
That philosophy has helped Garland build long-term partnerships with thousands of clients across the UK.
A business owned by its people
Another defining feature of Garland UK is its culture of employee ownership. Garland UK operates as part of Garland Industries, a 100% employee-owned organisation based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This structure reflects the company’s long-standing belief that the people who build the business should share in its success.
For Tim, this has always been central to Garland’s identity. ‘When people feel genuine ownership in what they do, something powerful happens,’ he explains.’They take pride in their work, they support one another, and they focus on doing the right thing for the customer.’
Over the years, many Garland employees have built long and successful careers within the company, something Tim views as one of the organisation’s greatest achievements.
‘One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been seeing people grow in confidence, develop their careers and create opportunities for their families. That’s something we’re incredibly proud of.’
Growing with purpose
Today, Garland UK works with organisations across a wide range of sectors, supporting the long-term performance of buildings throughout the country. The company has extensive experience delivering roofing and building envelope solutions for education estates, healthcare facilities, commercial property portfolios, residential developments and a broad range of public sector buildings.
Across these sectors, the focus remains the same, providing dependable technical advice, carefully designed waterproofing systems, and ongoing support that helps building owners protect their assets for decades to come.
‘Behind every project is the same service-led model that defined the company in its early years,’ Tim says. ‘Our goal has always been to do the job properly, to support clients with honest technical advice, design systems that outlast their guarantees, and deliver service people can rely on.’
Looking ahead to the next 25 years
As Garland UK celebrates its 25th anniversary, the company continues to evolve, expanding its building envelope capabilities and supporting clients with increasingly sustainable roofing solutions.
But for Tim, the most important part of the story remains the people who have helped build the business.
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When I look back over the last 25 years, what stands out most isn’t the projects or the growth, it’s the people, the surveyors, contractors and partners who trust us with their buildings. The colleagues who joined us when the company was still finding its feet. The technical managers who represent Garland across the UK and our outstanding support team at head office.
— Tim Jones
Together, they have built something special. Garland UK began with a simple belief to give people the opportunity to succeed and support clients properly, and great things will happen.
Now, 25 years later, that belief continues to guide everything the company does.
And as Tim reflects, ‘If the past 25 years have taught us anything, it’s that when you build a business around people, service and accountability, the future takes care of itself.’