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1842: Abraham Pank leaves his home town of Bawburgh to start a new business in Norwich (At this time his son Richard was one year old). Services being offered were, brass workings, bell hanging and gas fitting. The business was located at 100 (later at 123) Pottergate.
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1858: New premises were purchased in Bedford Street
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1874: Premises adjoining were also purchased to extend the business.
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1877: Abraham Pank dies leaving his son Richard to inherit the business. Later, Richard died and his sons Richard Arnold, Abraham and Arthur Robert inherited the business.
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1902: Panks engineers purchased Holmes and Sons, Agricultural Implement Makers and Engineers. This business was situated at Prospect Place. Mr F R Holmes had died however Panks purchased the business' Goodwill.
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1905: Richard Arnold Panks had moved to Great Yarmouth and opened branches at Howard Street, Southtown and Albany Road.
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1906: Panks purchase the former Holmes and Sons property at Castle Hill.
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1918 on: The Goodwill of Riches and Watts, Engineers was purchased.
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1926: An auto-electrical department was initiated.
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1929: Messrs. C & E Gates Electrical Engineers were purchased. At this time, the central heating, electrical installation and refrigeration departments were moved to 29 St Giles Street - this was under the management of Clifford Panks, son of Arthur Robert. This year, Herbert took over the Engineering Department.
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1933: By this year Panks were offering services from agricultural engineers to repairers of C.A.V. batteries.
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1944: By this year, the Bedford Street building had been sold to Curl Brothers. The main Works were then situated at the Castle Hill site. This site housed electric and acetylene welding equipment and had a well-equipped machine shop.
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1950: The Company split into A Pank & Son Limited, Panks (Castle Hill) Ltd and Panks (Radio) Ltd.
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1954: Television arrived in Norwich and Panks Radio were very heavily involved in supplying the public with the equipment - along with records, radiograms and record players. They had shops in Davey Place, Orford Place and 105 Prince of Wales Road. In later years, due to accessibility, Panks Auto Electrical moved to Heigham Street, to the site of a former cigarette warehouse. After demolishing 14 cottages they built new workshops.
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1961: Clifford's son William joined the business and later Michaels' son Timothy also joined.
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1982: The Old Tannery opposite the Heigham Street premises became available and were purchased. This meant that the Heigham Street operation was divided on each side of the street. On one side there was the Auto Electrical business and on the other there was the Engineering.
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Latterly, Panks dealt with garages, boatyards and motorists. Peter Pank is Managing Director and is a keen historian and keenly interested in his own Company's history.