The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has agreed a progressive group membership scheme with Troy UK, the tooling, workwear and industrial supplies buying group.
Effective from June 1, the agreement sees 22 Troy members joining the BMF immediately, with up to 50 more becoming BMF members in January 2023. The two organisations have a longer-term plan to bring more of Troy’s 400+ members into BMF membership over the next three years.
Originally established in 1986 to supply the engineering industry, Troy added hand and power tools to its offer in 1990 and this has become the core element of the Group’s business. Troy now provides buying power on a range of products from more than 400 suppliers.
With a “clear focus on supporting independent businesses, providing back-end service support and business solutions to help them scale and grow”, the group’s revenue has grown tenfold to £300 million over the past decade. Each of the first wave of Troy members joining the BMF has a turnover in excess of £5 million and the organisation says it has a five-year strategy targeting continued growth by supporting current members, attracting new members and through further acquisitions.
BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “As the trade association for building materials distribution, encompassing specialist and generalist merchants of all sizes, we are delighted to announce our latest partnership agreement with Troy UK. This not only expands our reach in the lightside market but will also enable a growing number of smaller, independent businesses to benefit from BMF training, business services and representation with government.”
Paul Kilbride, Chairman/CEO at Troy UK, added: “Having worked closely with the BMF for the last 12 months, we are confident that this agreement successfully blends the complementary skill sets of our respective organisations. Our member profile has changed dramatically from our early roots in engineering and is now spread across a diverse range of markets, with construction being one of the largest growth areas for our Group in both recent and future years. Our new alliance and future collaboration with the leading trade body in the building supplies market will benefit all involved.”
Main image (L-R): Oz Bham, BMF Business Development Manager; Chris Taylor, Troy Chief Operating Officer; John Newcomb, BMF CEO; Peter Sleigh, Corporate Strategy Director at Troy.
