Kirkholm, Reawick, Shetland Isles - where Rearo was born.

The Rearo Supplies group was founded in 1974 by Jim Mercer, a mechanical engineer.  Based in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, the company was set up to distribute Calor Gas throughout the Islands.  The business quickly expanded and eventually incorporated as Rearo Supplies Limited in 1976.

During the early 1980's the company expanded its operation to such an extent that it was awarded Main Dealer status by Calor Gas.  To this date, Rearo Supplies remains the only independent Calor Gas dealership in the U.K., to operate its own gas cylinder filling plant and bulk road tanker fleet.

By the mid 1980's Rearo had expanded its operations to include tooling and household hardware retail, as well as opening Kitchen and Bathroom showrooms in both Lerwick and Dunfermline.

The Dunfermline operation, managed by Jim Smart, rapidly expanded both in the retail of domestic kitchens and bathrooms.  It also successfully, secured contracts to supply worktops and kitchen units to local authorities in the area.
 
During the late 1980's Jim Mercer and Jim Smart instigated some development work with Bain (U.K.) Limited a Glasgow based laminate fabricator to manufacture a tongued and grooved wall lining system.  The product was launched as the Formica Uni Panel System and Rearo Supplies was immediately appointed the sole distributor for the East Coast of Scotland.

Such was Rearo's success with this product that the company successfully purchased Bain (U.K.) Limited's factory and machinery in Glasgow and founded Rearo Laminates Limited in 1991.  Rearo Laminates were awarded the sole manufacturing rights to the wall lining system by Formica Limited - a sole right which is still held to this day.  This product has been developed alongside its sister product the Formica Shower Panel which was also registered as a trademark in the early 1990's.

Rearo Laminates has since developed in to one of the U.K.'s leading high-pressure laminate fabricators supplying all sectors of the U.K. construction industry.  Our postforming service was introduced in early 1993. 

The company has constantly expanded it's product range to include products such as toilet cubicles, laminated doors, vanity units and reception counters.  In 1998 Rearo extended its solid surfacing facilities and was appointed a Corian approved fabricator. 

In March 1998, Rearo opened a new distribution facility in Washington, Tyne and Wear to service its ever increasing customer base in the North East of England.  In September 2000, Rearo's Dunfermline operation eventually outgrew its premises and re-located into a new modern distribution facility in the town.  In 2002 the company opened another distribution service centre in the South West at the  Severn Bridge Industrial Estate, Caldicot, Monmouthshire.  The company has also recently started exporting some of it's goods and services throughout Europe.

In 2005 Rearo's continuing success demanded that it's Glasgow branch relocate to larger premises.  Luckily a suitable site, approximately 3 times the size of the existing one, was found close by.  The move was completed by the end of the year and the new and improved factory was officially opened my Jim Mercer around Christmas of 2005.

The Rearo story is one of a progressive company, that has consistently re-invested to expand and become market leaders in every sector in which it operates.  The company remains completely family owned and throughout its growth has retained all its original values.