The Brooke Ceramics at MKM Home story at a glance…
1926 – Eernest Brooke opens iron mongers on Hull’s Holderness Road, beginning his family’s long association with business in the city
1945 – With business prospering, Eernest’s son Reg returns from the war and helps grow the business further, expanding into DIY and hardware
1981 – Geof Brookes joins the business and takes the bold move to switch from DIY and hardware to focusing solely on tiles and bathrooms
1988 – Geof founds Brooke Ceramics Ltd
1993 – Geof opens the Brooke Ceramics tile superstore in Hull
Brooke Ceramics 1993
1995 – David Kilburn and Peter Murray open the first MKM branch in Hull, turning over £3.5m by the end of the first year
1996 – Success of inaugural branch in Hull saw business model replicated in Driffield, with the second branch opening its doors
1997 – Third branch opened in Scarborough, following in footsteps of Hull and Driffield by giving branch directors a 25% stake in the business
1998 – Private equity firm 3i invests in MKM.
2005 – MKM celebrates its 10th anniversary by opening its 15th branch in Beverley
2005 – Brooke Ceramics tile superstore undergoes significant expansion, growing to feature a huge range of bathroom products
2006 – 3i increases its minority share in MKM by making a £21m investment
2006-2014 – Steady continued growth for MKM, with an average of seven new branches opening per year
2016 – MKM celebrates its 21st anniversary in style, with a charity concert headlined by Rod Stewart
2016 – Bain Capital acquires 3i’s shares in MKM, a move that enables the business to up its nationwide investment programme
2019 – MKM acquires Brooke Ceramics
2020 – MKM marks its 25th anniversary with the opening of its 70th branch
2020 – Industry leader Kate Tinsley joins the business as CEO
2021 – After a 20-year association, MKM and Hull City announce the new name of the city’s sports stadium – the MKM stadium
2021 – Doors open to Brooke Ceramics at MKM Home, an innovative tile showroom which features more than 300+ products from the MKM and Brooke Ceramics range in dynamic, tangible display units
2021 – By December of this year, the business will have opened its 92nd branch and be delivering a turnover of £660m