Company History

Farécla Products Ltd is a manufacturer of polishing compounds and surface finishing products which are used on a wide variety of substrates. From polishing compounds and applicators, to polishing machines and microfibre cloths, Farécla has provided surface finishing solutions to automotive bodyshops, detailers, boat builders, woodworkers, composite manufacturers and other industrial applications since 1952, now in over 120 countries. Farécla joined Saint-Gobain in 2018.

1930 - 1939
  • Broadfields Garage
    Small Beginnings

    The Farécla story began in 1934. Back then our founder, Mr Rodney Alfred Hawkins, established Broadfields Garage, a small garage repair business in Winchmore Hill North London. The young company flourished and growth was steady until 1939 when the onset of World War II plunged Europe into conflict.

1940 - 1949
  • Broadfields Fuel Pumps
    DIVIDE & CONQUER
    1944

    1944 saw the new company divided in two, with the engineering arm moving to new premises in Enfield, North London and the garage repair business continuing at the original site in Winchmore Hill, now with the addition of a small petrol forecourt.

  • Triumph Dealer
    Triumph Through Diversification
    1945 — 1947

    The two businesses continued to flourish, with the engineering output starting to focus on the production of component parts for the rapidly expanding motor industry, leading to the creation of supply agreements with major industry players such as Ford, Austin and Morris. New premises were also acquired in Cockfosters, Barnet to distribute vehicles from the Standard Motor Company of Coventry.

  • Perfit Seat Covers
    IMPERIAL ACCESSORIES
    1948

    Recognising a growing demand for motoring accessories, Rod Hawkins began exploring opportunities to manufacture and distribute these products under the newly created Imperial brand. The range would eventually expand to include; ‘Per Fit’ branded seat covers, roller type radiator blinds, adjustable spot and fog lamp brackets, adjustable rear window blinds, safety belts and security devices.

1950-1959
  • Farécla Laboratoires
    SHINING BRIGHT
    1952

    Georges Fevrier, an industrial chemist from Paris, approached Rod Hawkins with the intention of acquiring a partner in the distribution of a series of abrasive products based on chemical formulae he had developed. These early discussions led to Broadfields not only distributing, but also manufacturing the new products. With Fevrier providing the technical support and Hawkins the commercial expertise, the brand name Farécla was chosen as a combination of French words meaning ‘shining’ and ‘bright’. Our products have been living up to their name ever since.

  • Farécla G7 Rubbing Compound
    THE FIRST PRODUCTS
    1953 - 1954

    The initial Farécla range was sold in the UK and comprised our original rubbing compounds - G1, G2 and G7, in addition to the then flagship Imperial Polish No. 2, a well respected liquid finishing product packaged in small glass bottles. In the same year, Farécla products were first sold into export markets with Finland, Netherlands and New Zealand leading the way.

  • Broadfields Garage
    INTERNATIONAL GROWTH
    1954 — 1965

    At this stage the Farécla range still represented only a small part of the Broadfields business. However with the Imperial motor accessories range beginning to show signs of decline, greater focus was starting to be placed on this specialist area of vehicle repair. Attendance at exhibitions in both the UK and overseas helped the business gain exposure in international markets and broaden our reach by meeting with potential distributors.

1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979
  • Farécla Truck
    IT'S OFFICIAL
    1970 — 1971

    The start of a new decade saw a major change in the structure of the Broadfields company with the Farécla brand division acquiring its own specialist premises in Ware, Hertfordshire. This in turn led to the official incorporation of Farécla Products Limited on the 24th November 1971.

1980 - 1989
  • Rodney Hawkins
    Mr Rodney Hawkins
    1980

    1909-1980: Our founder and Chairman, Rod Hawkins died and was succeeded by David Chambers as Managing Director.

  • Range Rover
    Land Rover & Range Rover
    1980 — 1984

    This period saw the beginnings of an extension in parent company Broadfields’ distribution network to include Austin Rover vehicles as well as luxury second hand cars from such prestigious marques as Jaguar, BMW and Mercedes. It was also during this period that the business established itself as leading retailer of the British made Land Rover. The partnership proved to be a huge success over the coming years with Broadfields going onto become the largest distributor of Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles in the South of England until its eventual sale in 2003.

  • G3 Launch - 1984
    The Birth of a Brand
    1984

    With paint technology evolving during the late 1970s, Farécla recognised the need to update our product range to meet the needs of the new 2-pack systems. A period of development work ensued, culminating in the introduction of a new product, the famous G3 Paste. Partnered with the new G-Mop foam applicator, the product would go on to become our flagship product for many years, revolutionising the industry by providing the user with cut and finish in a single step.

  • Farécla Boat Pride
    Exploring New Markets
    1985 — 1988

    Following Rod Hawkins’ example of growth through diversification, this period saw Farécla products move into new markets with the introduction of the Industrial, Boat Pride and Caravan Pride ranges.

1990 - 1999
  • Farécla Factory & Offices
    A New Home
    1993

    3 acres of conservation land was acquired in Broadmeads, Ware on the site of an old maltings and a new purpose built factory and offices were built to accommodate the rapidly expanding business.

  • Farécla Warehouse, Ware UK
    A Place for Everything & Everything in Its Place
    1998

    Following the opening of our factory in Ware in 1993 we were still operating a warehouse a few miles away in Hertford. We were able to build a warehouse to sit alongside our factory to greatly improve logistics.

  • G3 Advanced Liquid Compound
    Switching to Liquid
    1999

    With paint systems becoming progressively harder, Farécla introduced the revolutionary Advanced G3 Liquid. Our first liquid compound, the product brought bodyshops improved economy in use and reduced splatter.

2000 - 2009
  • Branching Out
    2001 — 2006

    A new parent company, Surface Solutions International Limited was formed to oversee group operations. Growth came in the form of new markets with the launch of new Marine Industrial and Consumer Car Care divisions, as well as internationally with Farécla Inc established in Ohio, USA to act as a headquarters and distribution centre for the Americas region.

  • Profile Range Launch
    Specialist Applications
    2003

    Our Profile Range launched in 2003, providing surface finishing solutions for a wide range of customers working with different materials and finishes - from OEM boat builders to instrument makers.

  •  Queens Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category
    A Trip to the Palace
    2007

    Farécla is awarded the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category in recognition of 5 consecutive years of strong international growth. The year also saw our entry into the original equipment manufacture (OEM) market.

  • Launch of the innovative G6 Rapid Compound
    Rapid Advancement
    2008

    A busy year for the business saw the launch of the innovative G6 Rapid Compound. Specifically designed to provide optimal performance on new high solids and ultra high solids paint technology, the new compound provided our fastest, cleanest way to a high gloss finish to date. In the UK, further inroads were made into the car care market with the acquisition of Mer Products Limited.

2010 - 2019
  •  Farécla G3 Professional retail range
    From Bodyshop to Household
    2011

    Our car care business was strengthened further with the launch of the Farécla G3 Professional retail range into Halfords UK stores. A new office is established in Heidelberg, Germany as a base of operations for our Western European markets.

  • G3 Premium Compounding System
    Welcome to the Future
    2015

    2015 marks a new era in paint refinishing with the launch of our new G3 Premium Compounding System. On average, the new G3 Premium System is 20% faster than the nearest competitor providing a step change improvement in speed and quality of finish on today’s most advanced modern paint systems.

  • Solar Panels on Farécla HQ Roof
    Solar Power
    2016

    In the summer of 2016, we installed solar panels to help reduce our carbon footprint. The solar panels generate approximately 20% of our electricity needs, with the remainder of our electricity is sourced from renewables via the national grid.

  • Nǐ hǎo China
    2017

    To support our activities in the Asia and Pacific regions, we opened our Farécla office and warehouse in the Songjiang district of Shanghai. We welcome the team from China at our HQ in Ware throughout the year.

  • G3 Pro Detailing Range 2018
    G3 Pro Detailing Range
    MARCH 2018

    Driven by a demand for a full line up of detailing products, the G3 Pro range was extended from 10 products to 26 to provide all you need to correct paintwork defects, deep clean and finish the interiors and exteriors of all vehicles. In addition to the distinctive 500ml retail bottles, trade sizes of 1 US gal and 5 US gal were also added to a range of products. Much of the G3 Pro range is also silicone-free, for safe usage in bodyshops

  • G360 Super Fast System Launch
    G360 Super Fast System Launched
    September 2018

    Debuting at Automechanika Frankfurt, the G360 System was developed to remove the need for P3000 sanding discs, saving time and money. Since launching, G360 has been very well received and widely acknowledged as a 'game-changer' in the automotive refinish environment, as well as OEMs working with the next generation of UHS clear coats.

  • Saint-Gobain
    Part of Saint Gobain
    December 2018

    Saint-Gobain acquired Farécla Products to complete its surface finishing product range while at the same time bringing its technical expertise to engineer new solutions in the automotive as well as other polishing/finishing markets.

  • Farécla / Refinish Solutions Group
    RSG in North America
    2019

    Farécla is pleased to announce that in North America it will become a member of Saint-Gobain’s Refinish Solutions Group (RSG), an alliance of industry leaders that leverage their core expertise to help collision repair centres optimise refinish processes in order to improve profitability.

2020 >
  • Products with VOC Formulations
    Sustainability Milestones
    2022

    VOC-Free Re-formulations:

    • Proudly introduced our G3 Pro All-in-One Polish, marking our first VOC-free compound in the car care market
    • The formula of Profile Premium Liquid, now reborn as Profile 350, transitioned to become VOC-free
    • G360 Finish has been reformulated, further committing to our VOC-free vision

    Operational Excellence:

    • Achieved Scope 2 certified zero electricity supply, significantly reducing our carbon footprint
    • Demonstrated our commitment to a more sustainable production process by discontinuing the use of bleached cartons on our production lines

    Learn more about our sustainability plans »

  • Farécla Website Homepage
    Digital Re-launch
    2023

    Enhancing our digital offering to our customers and end users with our new website to help answer your questions about what the best products and process are for your specific issue, and our new eShop serving our distributors and importers around the world.