Our story
How it began
From a farm, a son, and a fascination with machinery
Mr. Sydney Ernest Davis and his wife Alice bought Sandhills Farm in 1930, and it has been the family home ever since — their son Bob was born there in 1934. The family farmed the land and reared chicks right up until 1964.
Bob's interest in earthmoving machinery began in 1943 when, at the age of nine, he saw the TD9 crawler belonging to local engineer and landowner Mr. Eric Norbury. By the time he was thirteen, Bob was using that TD9 for ploughing. In 1956, Bob and Christine began acquiring earthmoving machinery of their own, and from 1960 these were put to work on projects across the area. Davis' crawlers and dumptrucks became a familiar sight during the construction of the M5 and M42 motorways.
A great boost came with the development of the new town of Redditch in the late 1960s. Bob's activities included demolition contracting — his men were responsible for demolishing 31 of the first 33 buildings that made way for the new town — and the company's trucks were kept busy hauling in the hard-core that countless building projects required.
Our timeline
- 1930
Sydney & Alice Davis buy Sandhills Farm in Astwood Bank, near Redditch.
- 1934
Their son Bob is born at the farm — the future driving force of the business.
- 1943
A nine-year-old Bob is captivated by a TD9 crawler; by 13 he's ploughing with it.
- 1956
Bob & Christine start buying their own earthmoving machinery.
- 1960s
Davis plant helps build the M5 & M42 and the new town of Redditch; the recycling story begins with crushed brick.
- 1970s–today
Continual investment in crushers, screeners, shovels, dozers, excavators, haulage and a growing fleet of delivery trucks.
- Now
Run by Bob's son Andy, with grandson Paul and granddaughters Lucy and Sally — the third and fourth generations working side by side.
Our family today
Under the leadership of Bob and his son Andy — whose son Paul, and daughters Lucy and Sally, are also now working in the company — S.E. Davis & Son has continually progressed, both in the equipment it operates and the service it offers.
That family continuity is exactly why our customers stay with us. Decisions are made by the people whose name is on the business, our operators take genuine pride in their machines, and a handshake still means something.
We've grown into an asset-heavy operation — but we've never lost the personal touch that comes from being family run.
Over 40 years turning waste back into worth
We're proud of a recycling heritage stretching back more than four decades — a process that began when we delivered crushed brick into Redditch during the development of the new town.
That operation has been refined ever since. Today we accept demolition material, then crush and screen it back out into reusable products. Some of the screened material is then washed to produce a very popular recycled sharp sand and a range of recycled pipe beddings suitable for use in concrete.
Our latest investment is in mobile aggregate washing plants that recycles its own water — no reliance on settlement lagoons.
One of the country's largest private machinery collections
For over twenty years the Davis family has actively collected and preserved historic earthmoving and agricultural machinery — bulldozers, excavators, draglines, shovels, tractors and steam engines. It's believed to be the largest privately owned collection of its kind in the country, and it attracts hundreds of visitors each year.
These visits have raised many thousands of pounds for local charitable causes, including the County Air Ambulance. We also open our land for the community — the Astwood Bank carnival committee runs the annual village carnival, the National Traction Engine Trust hold their drivers training weekend every May and we host the New Years Day tractor road run just to name a few.
FORS Gold accredited
We're proud to be a FORS Gold accredited operator. Achieving the highest tier of the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme demonstrates our commitment to leading the industry in fleet safety, operational efficiency and environmental protection — values that sit naturally with a family that's been doing this properly for nine decades.
Work with a family that's been at it since 1930.
Whatever your project, you'll get the same self-sufficient fleet and personal service that's kept our customers coming back for generations.