The Company, James Grove, as it was then known, was founded in 1857, by James Grove and his wife Ann Elizabeth.

James had already been working in the button industry, and as he was a qualified die-sinker decided to set up on his own.

At that time buttons were made from Horn and Hoof only, many of them compression moulded, with the crests on, either fancy, or with military insignia.

On 11th January 1917, the Company was incorporated as a Private Company limited by shares.

Over the years, compression moulding of Horn and Hoof became to labour intensive and, therefore, too expensive, so these buttons were made from synthetics on injection moulded machines. The turning of Horn buttons on lathes, however, continued.

In the 1950`s the company started making synthetic buttons from a material called casein, which is made from a milk derivative, and along with the first member of what is now a nationwide sales force, started selling to the fashion industry.

Today, the company, which is still owned by the Grove Family, is the only manufacturer of Real Horn buttons in the UK and has expanded the range of products it offers to include Polyester, Urea, Metal, Leather, Glass, Wood, Pearl and real Corozo. A specialty is still the provision of buttons made from various materials displaying individual logos of internationally renowned companies and coronations.

James Grove and Sons Limited is proud of its heritage and the fact that, in it`s field, is the largest manufacturer of buttons in the United Kingdom, and one of the largest manufactures of Real Horn buttons in the world