City Plumbing, part of the recently formed Highbourne Group, has announced a new multi-year contract to outsource operations at its national distribution hub to GXO Logistics.
Expected to come into effect from June 2022, the strategic partnership will see GXO lead all warehousing and logistics operations at City Plumbing’s Warrington-based Omega site, its primary transport network and its international freight operations.
The specialist plumbing & heating merchant says the new arrangements will “further boost the value proposition of City Plumbing and generate benefits to its customers by achieving enhanced delivery services and options across the full range of City Plumbing products and services”. In addition to being able to offer more flexibility for customers, the supply chain efficiencies enabled by the new partnership are also expected to improve operations between City Plumbing’s nationwide branch network and its key suppliers.
Dave Evans, CEO of Highbourne Group, said: “We are incredibly proud of our national supply chain proposition and the service it provides to our customers and our branch network and are looking forward to further enhancing this through our newly formed partnership with GXO Logistics. We see this as an extremely positive step for our business and we are confident the relationship will support our ambitions to be the simplest, easiest and most convenient merchant to trade with. GXO Logistics is a true market leader, and we are excited to be able to take advantage of their skills and expertise to further improve our customer experience whilst providing our colleagues at Omega exciting career prospects.”
Gavin Williams, GXO Managing Director, UK and Ireland, added: “We are looking forward to sharing our industry-leading experience and expertise in developing logistics solutions with the fantastic Omega team. Together, we will be committed to continue enhancing the culture of safety and innovation to support City Plumbing’s efficiency, productivity and overall customer experience.”
City Plumbing has also recently announced the opening of its latest branch. The new depot in Bude features a The Bathroom Showroom (in common with all new City Plumbing branches) alongside a dedicated electrical specialist. In addition, the facility “will focus on the growth of renewable heating and has installed its first energy efficiency display, offering information and support on the latest Government legislation of how heating systems are changing to meet the UK’s commitment to net zero by 2050”.
The offer includes a wide range of energy efficient solutions including air source and ground source heat pumps, underfloor heating, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels, biomass boilers, wastewater heat recovery systems and more. The business has already announced heavier investment into its renewable heating offer to meet the upcoming changes in legislation and the anticipated demand as a result of the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme — a new subsidy available from April for homeowners looking to install heat pumps to their homes.
he Branch Manager, Chris Penrose said: “We are really excited about the opening of the Branch, supporting a variety of local trades. Our trade customers have seen an increased demand from homeowners looking to heat and run their homes in more efficient and sustainable ways and being able to offer North Cornwall a wide range of solutions where there is a high percentage of off-grid homes will support this.
“Alongside the trade counter and dedicated electrical support, we also feature The Bathroom Showroom where both homeowners and tradespeople can visit, tour the showroom and take advantage of the design and planning service, all before purchasing their bathroom, underfloor heating and tiles. We are looking forward to working with local tradespeople and residents to deliver heating solutions, plumbing, bathrooms, electrical products and spare parts to the region’s homes and businesses.”
