Smiths of the Forest of Dean Ltd., began as Ray. Smith and Son in the early 1970's.

Ray Smith started from our Milkwall depot and the business enjoyed organic growth for the next two decades providing and delivering  tanks and drums across the country.  Ray Smith and Son and our sister business Dean Drums, rapidly established a name for quality service and first-rate products.  The partnership continued to expand steadily for throughout those twenty years. By the mid 1990s the firm acquired another depot to add to its existing operation and we now run the business from these two sites.  
 
The company has divided into three distinct divisions catering for local, national and international customers -

New and Recycled Tanks and Drum Sales throughout Europe - retail and wholesale supplies to domestic and business users
New and Recycled Wooden Pallets - supplying a fast and efficient service to local businesses
Warehousing and Haulage - providing responsive services for the needs of local and international customers

In 1999 the partnership of Ray Smith and Son evolved into the limited company Smiths of the Forest of Dean Ltd.  The firm is still an independently owned business - three Directors and Ray Smith as its senior consultant.

We have developed into a small dynamic company providing specialist service and cost-effective products across Europe.
 

Our past and present customer portfolio include

Our drums and barrels have been seen in a cinema near you ...
Film credits include: Atonement, Breaking and Entering and the latest Batman movie - The Dark Knight
Television - Extreme Dreams, ITV's Primeval, BBC's Waking the Dead
Theatre - the London West End Production of Jailhouse Rock and The Young Vic.

Smiths of the Forest of Dean's customer base has increased year on year for the past five years and includes county councils, country estates, builders, farmers, plumbers, heating engineers, environmental and waste disposal companies, film units, exhibition centres, cider makers, valeting businesses and so on - as well as individual home owners and domestic users.

We have retained our original Milkwall premises and see customers returning to us time and time again, which is very satisfying.  If you want a single one-off container or hundreds a week we will endeavour to provide you with a fast and efficient service, whoever you are.  

Ray Smith founded the company on the principle that every customer - big or small is important to us and that remains as true today as it did then.  
 

"Just received my order.   Thanks for the good service.  Nice to see helpful and friendly companies still exist.   Thanks again."

Customer in the South East
 

Some of our Summer Office/Sales Team.

Tanks on our truck being delivered to a local customer.