Q&A INTERVIEW WITH TRUBLU Leigh Martin
Leigh Martin
BKU’s Matt Broughton sat with TruBlue’s founder, Leigh Martin, to talk about how he came to start the company, and what we can expect from TruBlue in 2025 and beyond.
Matt: Can you tell us a bit about your industry background and how you came to be MD at TruBlue. Leigh: I’ve been developing software tailored for the KBB industry for 40 years, starting way back in the DOS days with Prentice Furniture, Ultima Kitchens, Utopia, and later Mereway. After a few years, I dedicated my efforts exclusively to Mereway as they were rapidly expanding and needed the software to be implemented across the entire group. During many visits to the factory, retailers frequently remarked on how user-friendly the software appeared. This inspired me to develop a retail version in 2001 known as easyquote (EQ).
Fast forward to 2012, EQ was utilised by nearly half of the industry. I sold the business to Compusoft (later to become Cyncly). I remained in the business until the end of 2018 but eventually left due to differences in the company’s direction and ethos.
Initially, I had no plans to start anew. However, after receiving calls from suppliers, retailers, and former employees who recognised the limitations of outdated software and the repercussions of its failure, I realised it was time for a fresh start. We began working on TruBlue at the end of 2021, launched it in the summer of 2023, and now proudly have nearly 1500 users.
Matt: What motivated you to start again? Leigh: I’d like to say it was a moment of inspiration, but to be honest, suppliers and retailers themselves realised the current situation was untenable either from a technology point of view or due to the spiralling costs. I was horrified to see many had reverted to using manual or Excel-based systems.
Most of the market-leading solutions have been around for decades, and there was an overwhelming need to provide a modern, flexible, cloud-based solution that didn’t break the bank. Staring at a blank piece of paperwork with all this in mind seemed daunting; however, most of the previous management team and some extremely supportive customers all had the same idea and combined have made the whole thing possible.
6 BKU JUNE 2025
Matt: What are you generally involved with on a day-to-day basis? Leigh: I’m fortunate to be involved in virtually every aspect of the business, from sales to configuring complex furniture catalogues. Although the majority of my time is devoted to designing and planning future releases of TruBlue, I’ve stepped back from actually writing code. I have a fantastic team of developers who are far more talented and experienced in creating cloud-based software.
Matt: How has 2025 treated TruBlue so far? Leigh: 2025 began with the successful completion of the third phase of our development roadmap. This milestone has enabled us to embark on more innovative developments and introduce features that our users have never experienced before. Year-to-date sales have surged by an impressive 350%, with demand increasing across
the board from retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers. Suppliers are highly engaged and recognise the benefits for both themselves and their retailers.
Then of course, there is the KBB 2025 Supplier Team of the year award which we are all still buzzing from. It’s going to be difficult to eclipse that.
Matt : Is there a key point of focus for the company this year? Leigh: This year is all about integration. We’ve successfully completed the first three phases of our development roadmap, with the final two elements added in January. Now, we can focus on integrating TruBlue with all the essential software businesses use daily, including CRM, accounting, and CAD systems.
Integration offers users a greater choice of software, reduces time-consuming duplication, and minimises mistakes. Historically, software
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