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Our Story

Established in Stoke-on-Trent in 1989, Rob and Su Sutton first started the business when the were 22 years old, with just £200 and a hired van. Now, RKW is Europe's leading distributor and manufacturer of small domestic appliances and housewares products.

How RKW Was Born

After leaving school with no qualifications, Rob trained as a Service Repair Agent based in Stoke when his manager presented him with a unique opportunity. He approached the team and mentioned that they had received surplus stock from the manufacturer and would anyone be interested in trying to sell it. Seizing the chance, Rob volunteered to take on the task. Borrowing his boss's car and a selection of samples he cold-called businesses in the area. Skip forward to one year later, he had generated a remarkable £1million of turnover.

In light of this success, when Rob asked for a pay rise to compensate for his achievements, it fell on deaf ears. He and Su, who worked on reception at the time, decided to leave the service agent and give it a go themselves.

At just 21, with £200, they rented a van, loaded it with the excess inventory, and set to work. Since coming from nothing, they relied on support from friends & family including Uncle Wilf who kindly loaned his barn for stock storage (pictured above). Su's mum acted as a call box, passing messages between Rob who was out selling and Su who was out delivering, often with help from her dad. Family is extremely important and although they didn't have any money to help them run the business, they supported them as much as they could.

The support didn't just stop there. With no cash injection, customers, some of which we still work with today, provided them with favourable payment terms to help them along their way. This help and support is something that has never been forgotten and forms part of our core values; hard work, supporting one another, honesty and integrity.

Fast forward 35 years and RKW now has a turnover of over £220 million with ambitious growth plans but the heart of our business still remains the same.

“We began RKW with nothing but £200, a rented van, and the support of our family and friends. There were no shortcuts—just hard work, determination, and people who believed in us. From using a borrowed barn to relying on Su’s mum to take messages, every small act of help meant the world. Some of our earliest customers are still with us today, and we’ve never forgotten the trust they placed in us. Our journey has always been about resilience, honesty, and supporting one another—and no matter how much we grow, those values will always stay at the heart of RKW.”

Rob & Su, Founders of RKW

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