MERCHANT FOCUS: HB SUPPLIES
DIGGING IN FOR SPECIALIST SUPPLY
A family-run business is celebrating its 15th anniversary with the launch of its own- branded products. Anjali Sooknanan went to find out more.
W
hen Neil Hibbert wanted to start his own business, he knew the best option would be to use his 20 years of
building and civil engineering expertise. So that’s what the managing director of HB Supplies did, starting in 2008, aiming to build a business specialising in building, drainage and highways infrastructure. Operating from its 4-acre site in Narborough, Leicestershire, HB Supplies quickly began catering for local authorities across the East Midlands, including extensive work for Leicestershire County Council and City Council. As the business grew, HB Supplies expanded its product offering to further cater for civil engineering, groundworks, construction, house building, utilities and DIY, and, following that, landscaping.
Not that it has been plain sailing all the way. The business was officially set up in March 2008 when the recession hit as Hibbert explains. “We called the council and asked if they had any work for us. Luckily, there was a six acre yard that needed completing, the money from which got the cash flow moving. For three years we did everything ourselves and eventually we began to employ more people in different roles. We went from £1 million in year one to £3 million in year three, and it has remained there since because we have concentrated on local business rather than national business. We’ve created a strong brand in the area amongst the nationals and we are a merchant favourite because of the way we purchase,” said Hibbert.
More than civils and drainage While the business was founded on drainage and high-grade materials, Hibbert was focused on more than just civils and drainage. He says: “We wanted to get involved in landscaping and now the business is pretty much equal parts landscaping and drainage. During Covid, landscaping really grew with everyone working on their garden, upgrading
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their patios. I’ve put my heart and soul into setting up the landscaping side of the business. We made contact with Italy and India for much of our supply. Around seven years ago natural stone like Indian sandstone, limestone or York stone, would be top end. The evolution of importing sandstone became popular and then porcelain came out. Those markets produce rapidly and during that process concrete paving became the third choice.”
Social media has changed everything, he says. “Through various marketing streams it was clear there was a high demand for porcelain landscaping. Everyone wanted a porcelain patio and as a result of the pandemic people were keen to upgrade their properties. It’s been a revelation and it’s not stopping as far as we can see. The minimum price of a renovation of a garden is around £10,000, whether it’s a firepit or the shrubbery, there’s more money to be spent,” he adds.
Branching out
As HB Supplies solidified its customer based, Hibbert branched out to bigger premises which included a show area for landscaping products, and a warehouse to support the e-commerce product sales operations. “In the first 12 years we were at a depot which was locked in at the back of an industrial estate. Now, our new site at the River Sidings estate in Naborough is right near a BoxPark so it is quite busy. The location is fantastic and in our display area you can view the countryside. Compared to our previous 1.5 acre site, this 4-acre site has loads of expansion potential. We have our builders merchants yard but we’ve then concreted the rest to make it more structured and retail-friendly. Our main customer base is local authorities, which is how we started, civil engineers and groundworkers who do the draining side of it and then we have the landscapers. They are completely different but we’ve learned how to
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2023
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