{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Short description|Textile rental business based in the UK}} {{Infobox company | name = Johnson Service Group | logo = Johnson Service Group logo.png | logo_size = | logo_caption = | type = Public company | traded_as = {{lse|JSG}} | foundation = {{start date and age|1817}} | location_city = Preston Brook, Cheshire | location_country = UK | key_people = Jock Lennox (Chairman)<br />Peter Egan (CEO) | industry = Textile rental | products = | revenue ={{increase}} €535.4
million (2025)<ref name=ar>{{cite web|url=https://otp.investis.com/clients/uk/johnson_service/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=1137&newsid=2037665|title=Annual Results 2025|publisher=Johnson Service Group|access-date=3 March 2026}}</ref> | operating_income = {{increase}} €58.8 million (2025)<ref name=ar/> | net_income = {{increase}} €37.1 million (2025)<ref name=ar/> | assets = | equity = | num_employees = | owner = | homepage = {{URL|https://www.jsg.com/}} }} '''Johnson Service Group''' is a specialist textile rental business based in Preston Brook, Cheshire, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://research.ftserussell.com/products/index-notices/home/getnotice/?id=2616959|title=FTSE UK Index Series: Quarterly Review September 2025|date=3 September 2025|publisher=FTSE Russell|access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref>
==History== [[File:Johnson's Dyers and Cleaners Bootle HQ - geograph.org.uk - 601967.jpg|thumb|left|Former head office in Mildmay Road off Stanley Road in Bootle]] thumb|Workers in the wet cleaning department of Johnson Brothers' dye works at Bootle during World War I [[File:Johnson's Dry Cleaners, Market Place, Wetherby (18th April 2014).JPG|thumb|right|Johnsons The Cleaners, Wetherby, West Yorkshire (the dry cleaning business is now owned by Timpsons)]] The business was established by William Johnson as a firm of silk dyers in Bold Street, Liverpool in 1817. Work started on a new head office at Mildmay Road off Stanley Road in Bootle under the direction of the then chairman, Benjamin Sands Johnson, in 1896.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://postimg.cc/Hc6x7b0Y|title=Golden Jubilee for the J. B. "Journal": Mirror of the vast growth of Bootle Company|date=10 May 1957|newspaper=The Times|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
In 1920, Johnson Brothers acquired two dry cleaning companies, Jas Smith & Son and Flinn & Son Ltd of Brighton and, through further expansion over the next sixty years, became the largest dry cleaning organisation in the UK.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/johnson-cleaners-3440764|title=Johnsons Cleaners|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref> The company was renamed Johnson Group Cleaners in 1953.<ref name=ch>{{cite news|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00523335|title=Johnson Service Group|publisher=Companies House|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref> A major competitor, Sketchley, launched a series of hostile, but ultimately unsuccessful, takeover bids for Johnson Group Cleaners between 1977 and 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1977-03-08/debates/5681abee-d1ff-4487-abc6-db5466c98b7f/JohnsonGroupCleanersLtd|title=Johnson Group Cleaners Ltd|publisher=Hansard|date=8 March 1977|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/john-timpson/7730986/Learning-from-high-street-failure.html|title=Learning from high street failure|date=16 May 2010|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
After acquiring Stalbridge Linen Services in 1995, the twelve operating companies which made up Johnson Group Cleaners were restructured into just two businesses, Johnsons Cleaners and Johnsons Textile Services.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foodservicefootprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/F29-March-2014.pdf|title=Stalbridge Linen Hire & Laundry Services|page=26|newspaper=Footprint|date=1 April 2014|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref> The company was renamed Johnson Service Group in 1998.<ref name=ch/>
Johnson Service Group acquired its competitor, the Sketchley Dry Cleaning business, comprising 103 branches, from the then-owners, Timpson, for £1 in May 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.estatesgazette.co.uk/news/dry-cleaner-johnson-snaps-up-rival-sketchley/|title=Dry cleaner Johnson snaps up rival Sketchley|date=19 May 2004|newspaper=Estates Gazette|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref> In July 2006, Johnson Service Group announced its intention to sell its dry cleaning business, including the Sketchley and Jeeves of Belgravia brands.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/jul/22/3|title=Johnson's dry cleaning business put up for sale|newspaper=The Guardian|date=22 July 2006|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
The company relocated from Bootle to Preston Brook in Cheshire in 2007<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/sovini-aims-for-123-bootle-homes/|title=Sovini aims for 123 Bootle homes|date=21 July 2021|newspaper=Place Northwest|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/former-johnsons-cleaners-headquarters-turned-29739641|title=Former Johnsons Cleaners headquarters to be turned into new homes|date=15 August 2024|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref> and was the subject of an initial public offering on the Alternative Investment Market in June 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sharecast.com/news/aim-bulletin/johnson-service-group-plans-move-to-main-market--19908436.html|title=Johnson Service Group plans move to Main Market|date=4 June 2005|newspaper=Sharecast|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
In January 2015, the company announced the closure of 109 of their 307 remaining branches; the reason given was that the 109 shops' leases had come to an end and it would not be viable to renew them.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/06/drycleaning-firm-johnson-closing-307-shops|title=Drycleaning firm Johnson closing 307 shops|date=6 January 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref> Then, in January 2017, Johnson Service Group sold the remaining 198 Johnson Cleaners stores, along with Jeeves of Belgravia and Jeeves International, to Timpson.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/01/05/timpsons-buys-johnsons-dry-cleaning-arm/|title=Timpson's buys Johnson's dry cleaning arm|date=5 January 2017|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
The company's listing was transferred from the Alternative Investment Market to the main market in August 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2156444-johnson-service-group-shares-transfer-to-london-stock-exchange-main-market|title=Johnson Service Group shares transfer to London Stock Exchange Main Market|date=1 August 2025|newspaper=The Business Desk|access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official site|https://www.jsg.com/}} {{FTSE 250 Index constituents}} Category:Companies based in Cheshire Category:Companies based in Liverpool Category:Service companies of the United Kingdom Category:Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange Category:Companies in the FTSE 250 Index