MERCHANT FOCUS
commitment to strong relationships.” That’s what David Pochin, chairman of plumbing and heating buying group PHG said at the group’s annual supplier awards presentation.
“W
Set up in 2013 as a breakaway from some of the existing buying groups, PHG has been growing turnover, branches and selectively adding members ever since.
“We are totally focussed on the plumbing and heating market with no distractions,” Pochin said. “Our Supplier awards is just what it says – no conference, no gruelling series of meet the merchant appointments, no full-on presentations. The event is just a way of gathering plumbing and heating suppliers and plumbing and heating merchants together in convivial surroundings and letting the relationships develop.”
More than a simple awards ceremony, the annual event encompassed the obligatory golf day as well as activities such as segways and human-table- football for the non-golfers. “The networking aspect is crucial,” Pochin said. “The event is one of the largest independent gathering of plumbing and heating suppliers and independent merchants in the market place.” PHG now has 23 members, operating out of 313 branches and 115 showrooms. Pochin said: “Our ethos and philosophy binds us together because we are a relatively small group so the sense of team spirit is very strong and we do all do our bit. My role as chairman is to encourage 22 other entrepreneurial owner managers to all stand on the same common ground.
Turnover is now £520m, having grown THE AWARD WINNERS
PHG presented its 2016 Supplier of the Year awards at an event at the Carden Park Hotel near Chester. The nominations were voted on by all PHG members (winners in bold). The dinner was attended by 54 member and 181 supplier delegates.
New Supplier Award: Mark Vitow, , Roca, Strom
Innovation Award: OSO, Roper Rhodes, Wirquin
Instinct Award (PHG’s own brand): Inta, Monument Tools, Roper Rhodes, Pegler Yorkshire, Roman, Scalemaster
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e work closely together helping members and suppliers grow the sales through our
PHG
PLUMBING THE BUYING HEIGHTS
Team spirit is what drives the PGH buying group alongside a clear focus on getting the best buying environment between its members and suppliers as Fiona Russell Horne found out.
13% from £460m last year in terms of sales out. “These are strong numbers compared to what we hear about other competitors in our sector” Pochin said. “It helps that our members have a strong focus on relationship based, small to medium sized plumbing and heating installers”. Yes, sure there is also an element of our members’ business in the larger scale contract sector which is important to us and brings volume. That’s not to say that there haven’t been challenges along the way, as Pochin pointed out. “We all know about the bigger economic challenges caused by Brexit and last month’s calling of the snap election. However, closer to
Bathrooms Award: Just Trays, JJO plc, Kudos, Lakes Bathrooms, Roper Rhodes
Heating Award: Ideal Boilers, Joule, OSO, RM Solar, Stelrad, Viessmann, Worcester Bosch
Plumbing Award: Altecnic, Embrass, Inta, John Guest, Wirquin
Overall PHG Supplier of the Year: Roper Rhodes
home, our independent ownership model also brings its own issues. We saw three of our very strong, successful members acquired by the Marlow Group – Plumbing and Heating Investment Holdings – in the last 12 months, namely, Plumbcity, Willbond and HPS, as well as MKM announcing changes to its venture capitalist set-up. “These challenges could become say that in our usual pragmatic fashion we have found a way to not only retain these members in the group but also to keep them committed as much as ever to the way we operate and to playing their roles in the commodity committees and the wider group, allowing us to continue to drive the group forward.” Pochin spoke enthusiastically about PHG’s success in developing its own label range ‘Instinct’, the majority of which is sourced from existing branded suppliers. “We have a great own label plumbing and heating brand which we set up in 2013 and continues to go from strength to strength.”
Instinct growth has been impressive. In 2016 it accounted for over £32m at purchase value through the group. To maintain this success, PHG has recently appointed John Dicken as Instinct Product Group Manager, who joined the group from Ridgeons at the beginning of May to support the ongoing development and growth in sales. “Building strong, reliable branding is at the core of what we do and that encompasses both our own brand and those of our suppliers.”
June 2017 BMJ
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