TIMBER ALSFORD INVESTS IN REBRAND
South East based timber and builder’s merchant, Alsford spoke to Anjali Sooknanan about its major investment into its branding.
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ounded in 1882, Alsford started out selling timber and fencing in South West London. Over the years, the business has scaled up to its current network of 19 branches across five counties. With over 140 years of experience in the construction sector and after a period of significant growth, the company decided it was the right time to undergo a major rebrand. The business, which now operates as Alsford, has invested heavily into its branding which includes a new logo, website address and marketing materials, as well as fleet and service updates. “We are incredibly proud of our heritage and the reputation we have built over the years,” says Alsford’s commercial director, Louise Polston, “And we believe that it is important to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of our customers. Our new branding is a reflection of this, and we are confident that it will help us to continue to grow and succeed in the years ahead.”
More than just timber While the business is recognised for its expertise and origins in the timber sector, Alsford has invested in its branding to highlight the entire offering available to its customers. “With our strong timber heritage, we have a large proportion of our customer- base who come to us for our expertise in this field. Whilst being known as the ‘timber experts’ is an accolade which we will continue to cherish, we also want our customers to think of us when they require HBM, joinery, fencing, and shop goods too – categories that ‘Alsford Timber’ does not naturally lend
“Off the back of a successful past few years, we took the opportunity to rebrand the company in 2023 to reinvest in both the business and our team.”
itself to. These other product areas make up a significant proportion of our transactions on a daily basis. At some point we had to make the shift to becoming a generalist merchant and we feel that changing our name to Alsford is the way forward,” says Joni Beal, marketing manager at Alsford.
“With the company being over 140 years old, we had a variation of branding between the original branding and the more recent update which took place in 2017. Off the back of a successful few years, we took the opportunity to rebrand the company in 2023 to reinvest in both the business and our team. A rebrand may sound like just a ‘logo change’ but we have gone all out with no stone left unturned. Rather than this being a ‘new logo exercise’ we are covering every part of our business from business cards to our new website address
Alsford.co.uk,” she added.
“This investment reflects our commitment to delivering excellence in everything we do.”
An investment in the business and customers
Alsford’s investment in its branding is reflective of its commitment to its employees and customers. While the new branding has included a tribute to the company’s timber heritage, it also features a modernised logo which aligns with Alsford’s core focus on growth and innovation in all areas of the business. “As a company we strive to be forward thinking and we are focused on keeping the Alsford name at the forefront of our customers minds. Aside from the rebrand providing our locations with a face-lift, we
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have already seen how it has given our teams a positive outlook from seeing the investment the company is willing to make despite current trading conditions. From a customer point of view, we hope it will allow them to appreciate the diversity of products Alsford is able to offer. Our online offering reflects that of the branches so customers can be sure that they can click & collect or purchase online for delivery without issue,” says Beal. Moving forward, Alsford is keen to make its customers and the industry aware of the rebrand. “This investment reflects our commitment to delivering excellence in everything we do, and we believe our new branding reflects this. We are confident that this change will help us to better connect with our customers and strengthen our position as a leading timber and builder’s merchant across the South East,” says Alsford managing director, Neil Fuller.
Looking ahead, Beal adds “We are looking forward to showcasing our brand at new events and via a new sponsorship next year. With our branches varying in size and requirements, we are just under halfway through and we have had some steep learning curves to date. However, we have thoroughly enjoyed working with our branch teams to transform their locations.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2023
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