The story of Rays starts in 1961 when Ray Byrom co-founder with his Wife Agnes was playing in the fourth division of the football league with Bradford Park Avenue. Ray was set for a big money move to the first division (now Premier league), when he sadly broke his leg in three places, which was to be a career ending incident. With his football career over he was forced to pursue a new career, this led him into the motor industry.
Working in a few different garages as a mechanic, he soon realised that he might be better supplying the parts instead of fitting them. He took up work in a motor factor first working for Motor spares in Blackburn, then on to Norak in Accrington, it was while he was working at Norak as the manager that he decided that he could set up himself. They say that behind every great man is a great woman and, in Agnes, he had the absolute best and together they started the story of Rays Garage Supplies.
They started up in Park Street with one van selling their first ever part which was a top hose for 11p. They stayed there just short of 5 years before moving to Bold Street where we stayed for 45 years until the current move in December 2021 to Marlborough Rd. Rays is still a single site opperation, with 31 vans and 72 staff, turning one van and one salesman into a multi-million pound business, highly rated as one of the best motor factors in the country.
Unfortunately, Ray died in 2020 so never got to see the new operation at Marlborough road. But we are sure he would have been extremely proud to see what Rays has become.
Rays has always been a family business, with 4 out of 5 of Ray and Agnes’s children working there at some point, 8 out of 11 grandchildren and 3 step grandchildren. Currently there are 8 family members employed.
Alan took over as MD 25 years ago when his parents retired growing the business with the Help of his 3 siblings Dave, Craig and Elaine, who now lives in Australia. When Alan retired in 2020 Craig took over and is in charge today.