TATES A FAMILY BUSINESS

In 1919 two brothers returning from service in the army decided to build a workshop alongside their father’s laundry business to sell and repair motor cars.  They also operated a lorry with solid rubber tyres to transport the films recently shown at local cinemas to London, returning with new films overnight. 

From these small beginnings the well known motor dealership firm Tates started life.By 1934 Tates were building new car showrooms in Old Shoreham Road, Portslade to replace the premises that they acquired a few years earlier which included hand operated petrol pumps serving motorists over the pavement!  At the time the building was extremely modern and among the best in the South of England.During the war, as very few cars were permitted on the road, Tates maintained and repaired many of the ships using Shoreham Harbour and developed equipment for joining overhead power lines for the electricity board. 

Immediately after the war most new cars were exported and it was 1952 before significant numbers began to become available for the home market. Following the 1939-45 war Fred Tate retired and his brother Albert Tate ran the business on his own. 

John Tate joined his father in 1952 having spent time training at a Ford main dealer and completing army service.

A year later John was made director responsible for the garage operations and the business was expanded in several Sussex Towns. 

The non-garage interests were gradually disposed of and today Tates have motor dealerships in Portslade, Newhaven, Pyecombe and Crawley.

In 1980 Jonathan Tate, John’s son, joined the company to develop a new arm of the business and today runs two highly successful garden centres at Newhaven and Pyecombe.  A third garden centre has opened in Portslade called Mayberry Garden Centre. 

The managing director of the garage group is Jonathan’s cousin, Trevor Meadows and there are two other directors; Victor Balicki and Mehdi Pour, to assist him working in the dealerships.