Our History
Way back in 1949 the founder of the company, the late Mr Julius Lobenstein, who arrived in this country ten years earlier as a refugee from Nazi oppression - started a business that he knew nothing about. As he often joked: "I didn't know the difference between a switch socket and a coil of fuse wire”, but he learnt fast.
He chose the electrical trade because he had a hunch that after the ravages of the World War there was bound to be an enormous increase in house building of which wiring is an essential component. Together with his son Joe, who was then in his early 20's, they started a small electrical wholesale business located in the backroom of their residence in North London.
In the early post-war years to possess one’s own delivery van was a luxury they could not afford. They travelled through the length and breadth of London by public transport. They were glad when a contractor ordered a few rolls of cable which they wrapped in a parcel and hand-delivered on the following day. Jaylow grew gradually and it soon became clear that the company had outgrown its tiny operating base. They managed to purchase an adjoining residential property which became its home for many years.
Outwardly not very glorious, but growth was impressive. From its very inception Jaylow's motto was: ”The best possible service at the most competitive price”.
In 1973 the founder of the company passed away leaving his son Joe - assisted by a small team of staff - to "carry the can". Jaylow was always meant to be a family business; so when his son Morris completed his studies he joined the company and after a few years of apprenticeship was appointed Director - a position he fills with great efficiency.
Jaylow soon became a “household name” in the Electrical Wholesale trade.
Pressure of space compelled a complete change of surroundings and in May 1997 the company purchased a purpose built unit on a Trading Estate in North London. Jaylow now has its own transport fleet in addition to which it hires carriers so that it operates a delivery service to practically all parts of the UK.
We now have in excess of 600 product lines in stock and customer service is kept flowing by our dedicated members of staff. They are constantly on the lookout for further cable lines to enhance the existing range. All of which are approved to the relevant standards.
Lo and behold, what the company thought years ago would be adequate space for many years to come, has proved to be only a fraction of Jaylow's space requirements. In November 2000 we moved again into 16,000 sq ft premises, but after almost five years, and against all expectations, Jaylow had outgrown them. We then purchased a piece of land in Leyton London E10 upon which we erected storage and comfortable office facilities comprising 35,000 sq ft plus a large 30,000 sq ft forecourt for lorry access, etc, all totally self-contained.
After being on this site for 13 years we have once again expanded our current site to allow for an 80% increase in storage space (7500 pallets). This will enable us to hold a larger stock and further improve our dispatch capabilities.
The former chairman of the company Mr Joe Lobenstein, apart from his daily involvement in the advancement of Jaylow Supplies had a very long record of public service. He was until he retired in 2001 an elected Councillor of Hackney for 35 years and served four consecutive years as Mayor of the Borough. He was awarded the MBE in 1980 in recognition of his long-standing public service.
Sadly Joe passed away in 2015 – his presence is sorely missed but his legacy lives on. The next generation have joined the ‘Jaylow Family’ and four of Morris’ sons have joined the company who strive to continue with the foundations and business ethics that their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents set up years before.
We have a transparent policy here at Jaylow where you wont find any smoke screens or mirrors. Customers can contact any member of staff all the way up to director level if there is anything they need to discuss.
We continue to service our customers with the same attitude the company started with in 1949 - ”The best possible service at the most competitive price”.