MERCHANT FOCUS: NATIONAL PLASTICS
“Looking at branches and where we focus our attention, it goes back to my other comment. a tradesperson wants to be in and out, so we make sure we’re near main roads, we make sure that there’s other tradespeople around, and that there are businesses around as well, so that way it’s not ‘I’ve got to go here, then I’ve got to go somewhere else’. It’s all included in the one area. So the guys can grab the stuff and go.”
The plastic pipeline
National Plastics has worked to develop a structure which both delivers to, and adapts to the needs of the trades it serves. Dosanjh comments: “Our head office team supports our branch network and employees through our regional structures, running from director down to assistant branch manager, drivers and everyone in between. “Our wide product range and customer base mean no two days are the same which has kept the last 15 years I’ve had in the industry exciting and fresh. As a business we are all hands on so still having that involvement at a branch level whether its unloading deliveries or serving on a counter allows us to keep that understanding and relationship with the customer and our fingers on the pulse.
“We’re always open to conversations with people across the industry. In our team, we like to take on people with practical experience because some customers come in and say, ‘I have a problem, how would you do this? what do you recommend?’ We make sure all of our employees have an idea of what to use. Every new employee that comes into the business goes through a training program, and we ask all of our suppliers to support them as well. In this vein, a lot of our people come from recommendations. For example, our suppliers might say they know somebody that’s looking for a role, and that they might be a good asset to the business.
“We make sure everyone’s trained on everything, doors, windows, adhesives, silicon sealants, screws, flooring, and everything else. Most of our suppliers have sales teams that are in regular contact day to day. This knowledge helps to make the products sell, and it helps to put a person’s mind at ease as well, especially If it’s the first time that they’re doing it. We’re seeing a lot of our trade people, diversifying in what they do.
“We almost have a symbiotic relationship with the customer. In this industry, things change on a daily basis, so we make sure that we’re up to date. When we talk to our
and strengthen our position in the market to continue to support the trade.”
National Plastics has also launched initiatives to give back to the communities it
supplies.The ‘Butty & Brew Trade Tour’in April, for example, offered free breakfasts for tradespeople across its branches in Ilkeston, Scunthorpe and Chester.
As well as setting them up for the day with breakfast, the event was designed to support customers with everything they need before heading out to site. They could get advice on upcoming projects, explore relevant product ranges and take advantage of on-the-day offers.
“At the moment, tradespeople are busy. They want to come in, go to one place, grab the kit and go and do the job.”
customers, we also occasionally check in, to ask what the problem was and how they fixed it, And if a customer needs something specific, if we’ve got another customer that works in that field, we’ll ask them for advice. We’ve got a great community of people.
“So, for example. If a customer wants to fit a wall panel. We ask what kind of wall they are working on? Materials for the kitchen and the bathroom will need to cope with different things. Then we ask what the wall is like. What other products you may need, any trim, making sure they have the right blade to cut and how many panels they want. Wall panels are a bit like wallpaper, so you have to make sure they’re from the right batches. If we don’t have enough, we can order a fresh batch and then give them a call when it arrives. “We’ll also deliver it out to the customer, and that’s that all part of our service. We make sure to ask ‘what’s next?’, ‘What else do you need?’ and if there is anything else we can help them with.
“All businesses face challenges and our focus has always been the customer. To help support them through their challenges and go above and beyond for them to support their business.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to further expand our reach to our customer base
May 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Community support Dosanjh says: “The tour was all about supporting the tradespeople who keep our communities running, while giving them a practical, convenient way to start the day. “The relationships which our National Plastics branches have built with their customers leads to real trust and loyalty. We work hard to support our customers by having the right products at the right price in the network. Our people, our service and reputation attract our customers, and that is something we’re really proud of.” The company has also hosted ’The Big Build Competition’, which offered schools, charities and community groups in Chester, Ilkeston and Scunthorpe the chance to win a £10,000 refurbishment for a space that matters to their local community.
One organisation in each location will see a space transformed with decking, fencing, wall panels or other practical improvements, all supplied and installed by National Plastics’ team. This could be a classroom, youth club, community hall, sports facility, garden or any space that could benefit from an upgrade. Dosanjh continues: “Our customers are our strength, the tradespeople are our strength, and the communities where we’ve opened branches have supported us. So we wanted to give back in three areas that we’ve looked to grow.
“We had entries every single day from people wanting to support their local community. We were looking for people to tell us about their program, tell us what they wanted us to help with, and we teamed up with our suppliers and local tradespeople to go out and help.
“Whether it’s the tradespeople we serve or the merchants we work beside, we all stick together, we will help and support each other. We’re here to help those guys. We say to them: Drop in a branch, or give us a call. We’re here to help.” BMJ
19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
