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Background & History

Joe Hawkes founded the family business in 1974 from a background in heavy goods vehicles. He spotted a niche in the market for emergency service vehicles and from there the business grew to specialise in fire appliances. Things never stay still and opportunities arose in all aspects of fire so that Hawkes Fire is seen today as a one stop shop for all mobile and fixed mechanical fire applications.

Being based at the heart of one of Europe’s largest chemical complexes meant that flammable liquid fire-fighting became a specialism. It would be no exaggeration to say that a generation of North East industrial Fire Officers have had dealings with Hawkes Fire and speak highly of the resources that we provide. 

The company has grown with a management team covering Engineering, Sales and Service together with a fully equipped workshop/fabrication facility and off site engineering team to provide 365 24/7 services for our many UK customers.

The distribution agreements shown below have allowed us to develop long term business relationships with the high risk industries. They are testament to our business ethos of providing products and systems that combine leading edge technology with a proven capability. 

  • Angus Fire: We have a long standing and close working relationship with Angus Fire for designated markets such as airports and power generation.
  • Sides Fire Trucks: With our full after sales support package, Sides have a growing market share in the UK and Ireland for their airport and municipal fire vehicles. We work closely with them to offer a specification to suit your needs.
  • Matre: We are the UK distributor for onshore applications using the innovative Norwegian turbine foam proportioners. A 20 year pedigree ensures reliable, accurate and maintenance free foam delivery to all types of discharge device.