THE MONTH MKM Building Supplies officially opens new Burnley branch
Expanding independent builders merchant MKM Building Supplies has opened a new branch in Burnley, its 56th nationally.
The branch also contains kitchen and bathroom
showrooms staffed by dedicated specialists, building materials, timber, roofing and joinery supplies as well as brick-matching and take-off services, as well as a landscaping display, containing all the appropriate supplies.
MKM Burnley is located at Unit 26 on Enterprise
Way and is headed up by branch directors, Paul Swindells and Darren Snape. As well as the 15 new roles spanning showroom specialists to sales and yard assistants, MKM Burnley also brings a new vehi- cle fleet of two wagons and curtainsider lorries.
RGB plumbs the depths of Dawlish
RGB Building Supplies has opened a new plumbing and heating branch on Dawlish Business Park. The 168-year-old company’s new branch will be supplying a wide range of products from boilers, radiators, pipes and fittings, to cylinders, controls and chemicals. RGB Dawlish, located in Unit 5, Matthews House, Dawlish Business Park, is managed by Paul Fleming who said: “We’re all thrilled to have brought RGB to Dawlish. Our team has a lot of knowledge of the industry and the products we supply, so we’re happy to give advice and point people in the right direction.”
Branding and product availability are top priorities for independent merchants
Building a strong local brand identity and ensuring the availability and supply of products are central to success for independent merchants, according to a new survey published as National Buying Group launches initiative to support partners. Effective e-commerce and social media marketing are also identified by business owners as key factors for 2019.
The National Buying Group conducted research to highlight the major challenges facing merchants over the next three years. Publication of the research results coincides with the launch of NBG’s Merchants of Change group, which is designed to help partners pool knowledge, develop their skill-sets and face challenges with confidence.
The Merchants of Change community will allow 8
partners to share advice, exchange best practice and learn about the latest industry challenges. The research acts as a barometer for the sector and found the top priority for merchants is having a strong local brand identity with 94% of partners agreeing or strongly agreeing this is vital to retaining and attracting customers. The second major concern is the availability of products and a consistent supply – 85% say this would remain a long-term challenge. The other concerns in the “top six” are the importance of social media as a marketing tool (83%); having a strong e-commerce offering (81%) coupled with e-trading solutions to boost efficiency in ordering, invoicing and stock management (79%); and staff recruitment and retention, in particular attracting high quality, younger employees (74%).
Lagan is now
Breedon Following the acquisition of Lagan Group by Breedon Group earlier this year, Lagan’s brick, tile and bagged cement products have been rebranded as Breedon.
The company manufactures a comprehensive range of concrete roof tiles, clay facing bricks and bagged cement which it supplies to builders’ merchants across the UK and Ireland. This newly-branded range has enhanced the portfolio of specialist building products available through Breedon’s distributor network which also includes a variety of decorative aggregates, concrete products and its famous Welsh Slate. James Cousins, regional director responsible for Breedon’s specialist building products, said: “It’s a very exciting time to be part of Breedon. We’ve spent the last few months getting to know our new colleagues, as well as the products and plants within the group, and the rebranding from Lagan to Breedon demonstrates our commitment to the market to move forward as a single brand, leveraging the strength of the enlarged group to offer our customers high-quality products and the highest level of customer service.
“It’s early days but one thing’s for sure: we’ll be continuing to grow and invest in our business in the coming years, with a continuing focus on our customers throughout the UK and Ireland.”
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2018
MKM is one of the UK’s largest independent build- ers’ merchants. Founded in 1995; It opened its 50th branch last year, with plans for over 100 by 2022.
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