MERCHANT FOCUS: JOHN NICHOLLS
Notwithstanding the fact that the market has been very tough, the company is doing well, he says. Among the plans, once the heavyside branches were sold, was a new ERP system; the new system went live in December 2024. “It’s brought a few challenges of course, but these things always do,” he says. “We are now really starting to see the benefits, and can start to drive the efficiencies. It’s been a big change for us as a business, many of the processes and procedures we had, were built around a heavyside business. We’ve found it’s much easier with a clearer focus on just plumbing and heating. It’s much simpler.”
JOHN NICHOLLS: P&H FOCUS PAYS OFF
Fiona Russell Horne catches up with Adam England, md of John Nicholls, two years on from the independent merchant’s MBO.
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wo years ago John Nicholls, the Oxfordshire merchant sold its four heavyside branches to enable a family shareholder to exit the business. Andrew Nicholls, the remaining shareholder, acquired the remaining 16 plumbing and heating branches, and formed a MBO with him as Executive Chairman and the four active directors of the original business. Thus did they ensure the longevity and success of the company, while retaining the Nicholls name . Managing director Adam England says it’s slightly scary how quickly the time has gone. Since then, the company has celebrated its 60th anniversary with a large party with 180 people from across the company, including the J&Bs business that Nicholls bought in 2014, at Newbury Racecourse. “It’s great to be able to bring everyone
A new branch is opening in Aylesbury this Summer, which will be branded John Nicholls. There are currently seven of those, with nine under the J&Bs brand, a business based in Dorset, which Nicholls bought some years ago. “We want to try and balance those numbers, and we believe we have a great opportunity here. It’s a really positive move for us, especially at a time when lots of other businesses are closing branches,” he says. There has also been significant investment in the branch network, with a complete refurbishment of the J&Bs branches in Wimborne and Branksome, with a new Bathroom showroom going in at Branksome. “We’ve also spent some time working on our Shipston-on-Stour branch, a merchant we acquired just before we did the MBO. It was a respected old school family business, and we’ve almost trebled the turnover in two and a half years. We’ve refurbished the showroom there as well; that’s doing well with customers really seeing the benefits. It’s now a really successful branch for us,” England says.
Expansion opportunities As well as the new branch this Summer, the company has also identified sites for opening in the early part of 2026. He says: “We’re probably 12 months, ahead of where we planned to be when we started the MBO back in June 2023, in terms of how the business is positioned, how it’s ready to move forward. It’s been the result of a lot of hard work, and we’re really pleased. And that’s testament to everybody involved in the business. Everyone got on board and really adapted and helped us to move forward.”
together, as logistically, it’s always been a bit difficult to do that. I’m really quite proud to be able to say that we’ve celebrated 60 years, with all the changes that the industry has been through, it’s good to have that longevity and to be still growing.”
The other thing that that has really fired up in the business over the last 12-18 months is apprenticeships, England explains. “Before we started the MBO process, I think we had one apprentice across the 220 staff. Then we reduced headcount to around 125 as a result of the MBO, but now we have seven apprentices. So that, for me, is brilliant.”
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net May 2025
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