Ridgeons has unveiled its new brand for heating and plumbing — PlumbStock.
The first branches are opening in Hitchin, St Neots and Diss inside existing Ridgeons outlets. Spearheaded by the Head of Plumbing, Heating and Sanitaryware (PHS), Pete Diamant, Ridgeons’ new PlumbStock brand is aimed at plumbing and heating engineers and complements the existing builders’ merchant offering.
It is anticipated that PlumbStock will have a network of 12 infill and two new standalone branches by the end of 2015. This will complement an even greater presence within the existing Ridgeons stores and follows the longer term plan of creating a branch network of over 40 PlumbStock branded sites by the end of 2018. This expansion would create as many as 120 new jobs across the East of England.
Pete Diamant said: “The Ridgeons brand is synonymous with heavyside materials and in some cases wouldn’t be the automatic choice for plumbing and heating engineers — despite our existing heating and plumbing centres having expert knowledge and market experience of the sector. We wanted to create a dedicated brand within our group that would resonate with the heating and plumbing market by using a brand name that clearly indicates our commitment to stock availability.
“The aim for PlumbStock is that it will become the largest independent in the region and be the merchant of choice for the plumbing and heating trade. Our USPs will be service, location and stock availability, plus, we’ll be going the extra mile with a few innovative touches in branch.”
