John Corbishley & Sons passed into the hands of current Managing Director Bernard Watson in the late 1970s to start a whole new successful chapter in the company’s history.
We are run by a proud management team boasting over 35 years of hands-on experience of contracts both large and small, and have a proven track record in a wide range of sectors including industrial and commercial jobs and specialist ecclesiastical and leisure projects.
Bernard is the Managing Director of Bernard Watson and has overseen the company through five decades, expanding services and propelling the latest innovations.
He is closely involved with the company’s daily operational activities and can often be found on-site, personally supervising all aspects of the painting and decorating work.
Bernard’s youngest daughter Clare joined the company in 1997 and takes on a number of roles in her daily work as a Director, including administration, accounts and research into new skills and materials.
At Bernard Watson, we have always considered it to be of paramount importance that we can be trusted in all aspects of our work. Therefore, we are fully supported by the CHAS accreditation that ensures compliance with necessary safety standards, and are proud members of both the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) and the National Federation of Builders (NFB).
Our involvement with the NFB in particular is very prominent thanks to Bernard Watson Director Clare Watson attaining the prestigious role of the NFB’s Regional Chair for the North West, a position she has held for many months now and also helping to ensure the company is kept fully up to date with all the latest developments within the industry.
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Membership to the National Federation of Builders is hugely beneficial to all constructors throughout England and Wales. The association helps its members find work and provides resources and advice to save time and money so the primary task remains the primary focus.
While those traditional values of almost 40 years ago still remain close to the core of the company today, Bernard Watson has moved with the times to stay at the forefront of the industry by investing in and implementing the latest technology, methods and products.
John Corbishley was the original founder of the business which was located on North Road where it would remain for 48 years. It was not until 1926 that the company would move, although not far – just across the road to what are the current premises.
Six of John’s children followed in their father’s footsteps and became directors of the business, followed by their own children who joined after completing apprenticeships in painting, decorating and plumbing. During this time, ownership of the firm passed on to John’s eldest son William who would then hand the company over to his son, also called William.
On 1st November 1979, the company was bought by Bernard Watson who had served his time with a high class painting contractor in Preston and established his own business in 1967 after gaining further technical qualifications after completing his apprenticeships.
At the time, John Corbishley & Sons employed eight tradesman; the same number as Bernard Watson, so a total of 16 time-served craftsman remained at the firm following the amalgamation.
One employee, Beth Cribbin, was the great-granddaughter of John Corbishley. She had begun working for the company in 1975 under William Corbishley the younger, and would continue working for Bernard Watson after the take-over.
Astonishingly, more than 25 years after the acquisition of the Corbishley business, Bernard Watson was still employing half the original work force of J Corbishley & Sons; the remainder having left only due to retirement.
The firm won the Painter of the Year Special Interest Award in 2002/03 for the fine artwork undertaken at St Mary’s of Furness Church in Barrow, and claimed the same award again in 2006/07 for the graining and restoration of another St Mary’s Church in Lea Town. Bernard Watson won the award for a third time the following year for restoration work on the Sodality Chapel at Stonyhurst College.
Today the company is approaching it’s 140th anniversary and
is still run by Managing Director Bernard Watson along with his youngest daughter Clare who joined the firm as a Director in 1997. Clare spearheaded the firm’s forward movement by achieving the prestigious Investors in People Award and a new corporate image introduced in 2008.
The directors also oversaw a recent renovation of the building that’s been home to the company for almost 90 years and is a landmark in Preston’s history.
