Scotland’s Oldest Glazer Celebrates 150 Years In Business

A Scottish home improvement specialist is celebrating a major birthday this week when it turns 150 years old.

R Mitchell (Glass) Ltd, which was launched in Hawick by Robert Mitchell in 1875, is looking to mark the significant milestone by hosting a special open day at its Currie Road showroom in Galashiels on Thursday April 10th.

The company is Scotland’s oldest glazer, providing a large range of conservatory, orangery, double glazing windows and doors in Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders.

Built on a strong customer service focus, these founding principles still run through the business today under the ownership of fourth generation Lewis Roden.

In addition to the open day, Mitchell Glass is planning to give itself a perfect birthday present with the £75,000 modernisation of its showroom getting underway shortly.

“We’ve come a long way since Robert ran away from home at 14 and honed his glazing skills in Edinburgh,” explained Lewis, who joined the business in 1999.

“He used to ride his bike to installations with the glass on his back – I’m not sure we’d get away with that these days! Mr. Mitchell was a big character who, despite not finishing school, went on to have a successful career in politics. He became a town councillor at the turn of the century and helped secure funding for a critical local bridge and library.”

He continued, “It remained under Mitchell family ownership until 1947 and came into my family when my great-grandfather, James Fisher, was asked by the Mitchells to run the business during the war."

“After serving his apprenticeship in Hawick, my grandfather Bill Fisher opened premises in Gala Lane, Galashiels, before converting shops and houses in Market Street (into what is now Quins). In addition to glazing, they sold paint, tools, and wedding gifts before commencing aluminium window manufacture in the basement. The move to our current purpose-built factory in Currie Road took place in 1978."

“My father, Peter Roden, was taken on in 1983, and following my grandfather’s death, he and Bill’s daughter, Susan (my mum), successfully ran the company for twenty-six years before retiring and leaving me at the helm."

“Family is really important to the way we run the company. Our founder made the business all about delivering personalised service and the best possible customer experience, and that’s exactly what we’re still about – achieving a Net Promoter Score of 88 and winning 92% of new orders from ‘word of mouth’ and recommendations.”

Mitchell Glass, which is part of the Conservatory Outlet network, is launching several special offers at its Open Day tomorrow, including a double chance to win a free front door (worth up

to £3000) and ‘get an exact day quote for your project’ - with a discount on the day or pay £150 now and pay the rest in six months.

With it being the school holidays, the company has also arranged a bouncy castle and face painting for children, whilst a ‘design the door’ competition will give people the chance to win a Family Cinema voucher.

Lewis went on to add:

“2025 is going to be a great year for the business. As well as our showroom redevelopment, we’re really excited to be showcasing the new ‘Extreme’ window range that is due to launch later this year."

“This new range features ‘Super-Vault’ locking technology, which promises to deliver the most secure and airtight solution on the market and features the UK’s first and only 12mm wide super-bolt that’s 4x bigger and tougher than other options. This new window will make your home more efficient and, importantly, safer than ever."

“We’ve got exclusivity on this product, and we can’t wait to bring it to market later this year.”

Mitchell Glass was the first Scottish retailer to join the Conservatory Outlet (CO) network in 2011 and has been one of the organisation’s most consistent performers.

Greg Kane, CEO of CO, continued:

“A massive happy birthday to Lewis and the team up in Galashiels; it’s a massive achievement to trade for more than 150 years."

“We have been part of the company’s history for nearly 25 years, first under Peter Roden and now his son. It is a fantastic business that excels in customer service, and we can’t wait to help it write the next chapter in its successful history.”

As it celebrates 150 years, Mitchell Glass remains committed to evolving with the times, adapting to new technologies, embracing sustainability, and continuing to deliver the personal service that has kept it at the heart of homes across the Borders for generations.

Caption for pics:

Mitchell Glass (Staff): Lewis, Peter and his mum Susan (centre) with the Mitchell Glass team in 2000

Robert Mitchell: Robert Mitchell, founder, outside his store in 1875

Mitchell Glass Steve Scott: (l-r) Susan, Peter and Lewis Roden (front) with some of the Mitchell Glass team in 2023.