Hillbrush was founded in 1922 by Fred and Bill Coward, the company began in the small rural town of Mere, Wiltshire. They called their business ‘The Hill Brush Company’, because it was located at the base of the distinctive Castle Hill you will see if you visit Mere today. It originally specialised in dairy and agricultural brushes, but within a few years many streets were being swept with brushes made by Hillbrush. 
 
The brothers were later joined by their respective sons David and Richard along with Bill's son-in-law, Brian Thomas. David's son Martin was appointed as the Finance Director in 1997 and his second son Philip, was Managing Director of Hillbrush in the UK until 2018, when his son Charles and Martin's son Andy became Co-Managing Directors of Hillbrush. Philip is Chairman of Hillbrush and also President of Hillbrush Inc in the US, with Richard's son Peter as Vice President. Hillbrush USA is located in Baltimore, Maryland.
 
From the very beginning, the brothers stamped their brushes with a salmon logo, born out of Bill’s love for salmon fishing. The salmon logo not only distinguished the business from its many competitors, but as the ‘King of Fish’ it also represented the quality of the products they were making. Over the years the logo has evolved but the salmon has remained an integral part of Hillbrush, and to this day many locals and customers worldwide refer to the Company as ‘salmon brushes’, ‘the fish brand’ or ‘the brushes with the fish’!