TIMBER ALL UNDER ONE ROOF
Family-owned merchant, Alloway Timber has merged with its sister company Putney Builders Merchants under one brand. Anjali Sooknanan spoke to managing director, Jez Avens to find out what this means for the business.
J
oe Alloway (senior) started Alloway Timber Southern LTD in 1971 from the back garden of his parent’s house in Fulham. By 1973, the business grew, and he decided to expand with the opening of the Putney branch which the company still trades from today. The business continued under the stewardship of his two sons, Joe and Peter Alloway, supplying anything timber related from skirtings and architraves to roof truss rafters. In 2003, to meet customer demands and help support their projects from start to finish, the business opened Putney Builders Merchants (PBM). This year, with the aim to simplify its offering and ensure its entire product portfolio is available under one roof, the two brands merged to form Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants.
A simplified process When the decision was made to merge the two brands, Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants put its customers at the forefront of its operations. “Our customers now have only one account to manage and most importantly our level of service and their experience in dealing with us has improved as we share our colleagues’ knowledge across the two businesses. This is part of our continual drive to find ways to improve processes at our company and make life easier for our customers,” says managing director Jez Avens.
“Our company culture is steeped in a philosophy of providing unrivalled customer service that cannot be found anywhere else. By remaining family-run, this philosophy has endured over generations and will continue to be a core element of our identity. We have an impressive range covering softwoods, MDF, hardwoods, skirtings, and architraves, to aggregates, blocks, bricks, and lintels. In essence, all the materials you need for your construction project from start to finish, delivered via our extensive fleet including crane lorries. In terms of service, we pride ourselves on offering the highest level of expertise to our customers. We provide a personalised customer service resulting in strong relationships built on a foundation of respect. Our Loft Loader service is renowned
“This is part of our
continual drive to find ways to improve processes at our company and make life easier for our customers.”
through a combination of further increasing footfall to our branches and developing the online e-commerce side of our business. This will be achieved through a commitment to providing a first-class service at every level – from initial enquiry through to delivery.
amongst our customer base, who also receive tailored payment terms based on their level of spend with us,” he adds. By trading under one brand, Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants has enhanced its operations at every level of the business from its internal processes to delivery services and online offering. “We will aim to drive sales growth
June 2023
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Improved knowledge “Our internal processes have improved significantly which has allowed us to dedicate more time to improving our product knowledge, as well as maintaining our position as the experts in our field. Goods inwards has also simplified with suppliers only having to deliver to one business rather than two. In terms of our sustainability agenda, the merge has allowed us to utilise our own transport fleet better to enable a greener environment. We’re aiming to further our eco-credentials by working more closely with environmentally friendly suppliers,” says Avens. Alloway Timber & Builders Merchants will continue to trade from its five locations – Cheam, Mitcham, Byfleet, Putney, and Kingston.
“There are no plans to open new sites this year, as we concentrate on maximising the customer experience at our existing sites, as well as our e-commerce platform. However, depending on market conditions, we’re always looking for ways to grow and expand the business,” he adds. BMJ
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