BUILDERS MERCHANTS: A-Z HUWS GRAY H Huws Gray
THE ACQUISITION OF the Grafton GB Merchanting business from Grafton Group plc, announced in July 2021 turned Huws Gray into the UK’s largest independent builders’ merchant.
The £520m deal comprised approximately 200 merchant branches and 3,500 people. Terry Owen, founder and chairman, of Huws Gray said at the time: “We are thoroughly excited and feel extremely privileged to be able to acquire such a well-respected name in the industry. This has given us the opportunity to more than double our branch network and substantially increases our geographical footprint. We look forward to working alongside our new colleagues and continuing on our exciting journey.”
Just prior to the take-over of the Grafton businesses, the company also added Northamptonshire family-run independent Higgins of Wellingborough to its portfolio. The family-owned builders’ merchant, which now operates from a 4.5-acre site and landscaping centre in Wellingbrorough plus a third site in Irthlingborough, was established in 1866 by Thomas Henry Higgins, and had been under the stewardship of five successive generations of the Higgins family.
Still not content with all that, Huws Gray followed up with another builders merchant acquisition, Sandysike Builders
HUWS GRAY THE NUMBERS
2018 Turnover £m Gross profit £m
Operating profit £k Net profit £k Staff
THE RATIOS 2018 Stockturn Gross margin %
Operating margin % Net margin % Sales/head £k Profit/head £
Return on capital % BMJ INDEX
3.9
35.4 12.1 11.6 253
30,635 21.0
2019 3.7
34.3 8.2 7.2
228
18,744 19.3
2020 3.5
36.4 11.7 10.9 226
26,593 22.2
(241)
214.0 75.7
25,948 24,854 847
2019
378.6 129.7
31,134 27,380 1,661
2020
356.2 129.8
41,857 38,912 1,574
HUWS GRAY
Llangefni Industrial Estate, Llangefni, Anglesey, LL77 7JA
www.huwsgray.co.uk Tel:1248 724750
Subsidiaries: Ridgeons Forest Products, Qualplas, Huws Gray Timber Engineering, PlumbStock, Anglia Tool Centre.
Finalised at the end of 2021: Buildbase, Civils & Lintels, PDM Buildbase, The Timber Group, Bathroom Distribution Group, Frontline and NDI brands
Merchants Ltd based in Carlisle, Cumbria.
The family run business has been serving Cumbria and South West Scotland for over 22 years supplying a large range of high-quality building materials, bathrooms and wood burning stoves. Family members Melanie Forster, Stephanie Forster and Grant Kelton are remaining to manage the business.
In Setember, Huws Gray Group announced the completion of its fifth deal of 2021 with the acquisition of TBS Building Supplies based in Towcester and Daventry, Northamptonshire. The acquisition of a further two branches in Northamptonshire doubles the company’s presence in the county and reinforces their commitment to connecting their established sites across the UK. This was followed up by the purchase of independent builders merchant Exall and Jones Ltd, based in Swansea, South Wales.
% CHANGE 2019 77 71 20 10 96
2020 (6) 0
34 42 (5)
% CHANGE 2019 (5) (3)
(32) (38) (10) (39) (8)
2020 (6) 6
43 51 (1) 42 15
Founded in 1984 by David Jones and the late John Exall, the builders and timber merchants based in Swansea City centre has served a broad customer base, from DIY’ers and self-builders through to housing developers, major contractors, and local authorities across South Wales. In January, the group sold the Buildbase Sudbury branch to Lords Group, in order to meet the requirements of the Competition and Markets Authority and then acquired West Lothian based merchant Brick and Stone (Scotland) Ltd. Established in 1999, Brick and Stone (Scotland) Ltd is based at a single location in Broxburn, West Lothian, it supplies a range of facing and reclaimed bricks, blocks, and walling. The branch will join the Group’s established network of specialist brick centres in Llay and Warrington.
Eddie Hernon, managing director of PDM Buildbase, a Huws Gray Group company, said: “We are delighted to add our first specialist brick centre in Scotland and are truly optimistic for what the future holds.”
30 A supplement to builders merchants journal April 2022
Branches: 118 (Buildbase 200+, Civils & Lintels 18,) Showrooms: 28 Employees: 1,993
2020 Recorded Turnover: £372.8m 2021 est Turnover £496,2m
CEO: Ian Northen Chairman: Terry Owen
%age Heavyside / Lightside / Timber Sales / Other Sales: 55% / 17% / 25% / 3%
Members of: BMF
TRAILBLAZERS
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