Loxleys: The remarkable 170-year story behind one of Sheffield's oldest companies based in an old skating rink

Loxleys prints an astonishing 100 million greetings cards a year at its historic home - a former roller skating rink tucked away behind a suburban housing estate.

With 779 million cards being sold in the UK each year, according to Loxleys, that means it’s responsible for printing more than one in eight of the cards we buy to mark birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and other special occasions.

The business has just celebrated its own 170th anniversary and is still going strong, having survived two world wars, depressions, a major fire and, most recently, the Covid pandemic.

It began life on October 14, 1854 as a printers, booksellers and stationers on Fargate in Sheffield city centre, called Loxley Brothers, after its founders William and Edward Loxley.

In 1921, the printing arm of the business moved to its present home at the former Empire Roller Skating Rink on Kiln Street (then Aizlewood Road), between Heeley and bustling Abbeydale Road.

Disaster struck just two years later, on December 6, 1923, when the factory was destroyed in a huge fire.

But it was quickly rebuilt and in 1925 the new factory was opened in grand fashion by Gordon Selfridge, of Selfridges department store fame.

Loxleys has had to overcome many more challenges in the years since, including another smaller fire in 1950, and one of its buildings in London being bombed during the Blitz in 1941.

In 1991, it came back from the brink after being months away from ceasing to trade as it struggled with debt and poor sales.

But today it is in fine health, with around 95 employees based at its printing press on Kiln Street and another 15 at its warehouse and distribution centre in Attercliffe.

Loxleys only began printing greetings cards in 1980, having previously produced everything from catalogues, brochures and magazines to labels for goods including Smarties, Batchelors Peas and Izal toilet rolls.

Since 2000, greetings cards have been its sole business, with the cards it prints making their way to the shelves of the major supermarkets, Card Factory, Clintons, WHSmith and many other shops.

Loxleys has had numerous owners during its history. In 2022, it was bought by managing director Tony Lorriman and three of his colleagues, Gary Anderson, Paul Brooks and Gary McCrorie, who between them had racked up well over 80 years working for the firm.

Tony first joined Loxleys a quarter of a century ago as a trainee sales rep and worked his way through the ranks to reach the top.

“It’s been a learning curve and there have been moments when I think why on earth have I done this, but to come in as a 23-year-old salesperson and now be the owner of this company with its incredible history is a huge honour,” he says.

“We just see ourselves as the current custodians, whose job it is to keep the company in good health ready to pass on one day to the next owner, whoever that might be.”

The biggest challenge Tony has faced during his time at Loxleys was undoubtedly the Covid pandemic, when he says the firm’s order book halved almost overnight as the nation was plunged into lockdown.

It relied heavily on the Government’s furlough scheme but managed to keep printing throughout and bounced back strongly as shops reopened and life gradually returned to normal.

The rise of e-cards is naturally a threat but Tony says sales of physical cards have remained relatively constant, and the pandemic if anything showed how the thrill of receiving an actual card through your letterbox, and the connection that gives you to the sender, can never be replaced by the virtual equivalent.

The other major change Tony described was the impact of David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II in 2017, which by highlighting the damage being done to Earth, led to plastic packaging and confetti being virtually eradicated from the greetings card trade.

Loxleys is no longer a family business but it has the feel of one, with many long-serving employees having been there for up to 40 years, and a number of couples, as well as mothers and daughters, among the workforce.

At the other end of the scale are the three young trainees who have joined in the last two years, as the firm seeks to pass on the skills to the next generation.

Keep up to date on everything in Sheffield and South Yorkshire with The Star’s free newsletterdelivered straight to your inbox

IT and HR manager Helen Roberts is one of the longest-serving employees, having worked there for 33 years since joining as an office junior.

“It’s a good place to work,” she said. “I think the word I would most associate with Loxleys is family. People stay because they like the colleagues they’re working with, and there’s a real family atmosphere.

“The latest change of ownership was a big deal for a lot of us working here because it’s nice that people who have been with the company for a long time now own it. They’ve earned it and they’re good people to work for.”

The Star launched its #LoveYour campaign this week - a love letter to Sheffield where we are championing the Steel City.

We will report on all that is great about Sheffield but are also keen to hear from readers too.

Please email [email protected] or [email protected]

You can also submit your own article about something that makes this city special to you in your own words or via video  - by submitting to https://www.yourworld.net/submit