TRAILBLAZERS Sydenhams
SYDENHAMS THE NUMBERS
22/23 Turnover £m Gross profit £m
Operating profit £k Net profit £k Staff
THE RATIOS 22/23 Stockturn Gross margin %
Operating margin % Net margin % Sales/head £k Profit/head £
Return on capital % BMJ INDEX
2.8
40.5 8.8 8.8
203
17,878 17.5
23/24 2.7
40.9 3.9 3.9 182
7,026 7.0
24/25 2.5
40.5 2.0 2.3 182
3,704 3.9
(15)
95.4 38.6
8,385 8,417 469
23/24
84.1 34.4
3,253 3,305 463
24/25
81.7 33.1
1,667 1,844 450
% CHANGE
23/24 (12) (11) (61) (61) (1)
23/24 (4) 1
(56) (55) (11) (61) (60)
24/25 (3) (4)
(49) (44) (3)
% CHANGE
24/25 (4) (1)
(47) (43) (0)
(47) (44)
SYDENHAMS • WALTER TIPPER BUILDERS MERCHANTS: A-Z Tippers
WALTER TIPPER THE NUMBERS
Turnover £m Gross profit £m
Operating profit £k Net profit £k Staff
THE RATIOS Stockturn Gross margin %
Operating margin % Net margin % Sales/head £k Profit/head £
Return on capital % BMJ INDEX
2022 3.6
34.4 7.1 7.1
208
14,738 12.6
2023 4.0
32.5 5.2 5.3 210
10,928 8.9
2024 4.0
32.1 2.1 2.6 197
4,216 4.0
(67)
In 1874, James Thomas Sydenham founded the business in Poole, Dorset, supplying timber and building materials to local trades.
The 1920s saw the Sherborne family take over, in whose hands it remains.
The company became
Sydenhams Ltd in 1999, following the acquisition of several companies, and it now operates as an independent, family-owned merchant group. There are now 33 branches across the central southwest area.
The Sydenhams’ timber engineering offer is based at Wickham and Newport (IOW), where it designs and manufactures I-beams, Easi- joists, roof trusses, and complete timber-frame buildings. The Plywood & Panel Centre is based in Keynsham, Bristol, while the Timber Centres stock softwoods and hardwoods. There are also eight Hire Centres, and eight Kitchen & Bathrooms by Sydenhams.
SYDENHAMS
45-47 Ashley Road Bournemouth BH1 4LG Tel: 01202303585
www.sydenhams.co.uk
Branches 33 Showrooms: 8 Employees: 440
Chairman: James & Charles Sherborne Managing Director: Lee Wright Other Directors: Oliver Sherborne, Chris Carter, Kevin Clarke, Brandon Carr & Jeremy Clark
Approximate turnover for 2025: £81.25m
Buying Group: Fortis BMF Member: Yes
Financial year end: March 31 2025
Tippers is a Midlands-based, family-run builders’ merchant with a long-standing reputation for serving the building trade and the general public with quality materials and expert advice. Established in 1916, Tippers now operates a network of 14 branches across the region, maintaining its commitment to providing outstanding service and support to its customers. At the begining of 2025, it acquired three branches from fellow Midlands independent merchant BPS, and spent the first part of the year turning them into Tippers Bidford, Tippers Shipston, and Tippers Southam, adding new stock ranges alongside investment in the premises.
At the same time, the company moved buying groups, and is now a full member of the Fortis network of indepdent merchant businesses.
WALTER TIPPER
Europa Way Lichfield WS14 9TZ Tel: 01543414800
www.tippers.com/
Branches: 14 Showrooms: 8
Branches Added/Closed in 2024: +1 Employees: 290
Chairman: Andrew Tipper Managing Director: William Tipper and Joseph Tipper Other Directors: Amy Tipper and Peter Sampson
Buying Group: Fortis BMF Member: Yes
Financial year end: December 31 2024
2022 55.6 19.1
3,935 3,934 267
2023 55.3 18.0
2,874 2,920 263
2024 51.0 16.4
1,092 1,329 259
% CHANGE
22/23 (0) (6)
(27) (26) (1)
% CHANGE
22/23 10
(5)
(27) (25) 1
(26) (29)
23/24 (0) (1)
(59) (51) (6)
(61) (55
23/24 (8) (9)
(62) (54) (2)
April 2026 A supplement to builders merchants journal
31
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