Long-standing h&b member M&J Builders Merchants has announced the acquisition of GTI Direct (GTI), adding a fifth location to the Group’s portfolio.
GTI, a Dunoon-based business that already has long-standing ties with M&J, was established nearly 30 years ago as a UK-wide distributor of insulation, energy efficiency and carbon reduction eco products and in the recent years has set up a timber and builders’ merchant division. It now joins h&b as part of the M&J Group.
M&J is family-owned and -run independent merchant group established in 1999 that operates a successful timber and mixed light- and heavyside business catering for both public and trade customers from its two branches in Greenock and Largs. In 2019 M&J opened a new 3 acre (130,000 sq ft) storage and distribution hub two minutes away from its head office branch in Greenock.
Then, also in 2019, M&J Group acquired South Lanarkshire Building Supplies, absorbing the company into the Group while retaining the strong local brand. SLB operates from a four-acre site in a superb central Scotland location in Larkhall. The GTI acquisition now makes the M&J Group a five-branch operation.
Part of h&b since 2013, M&J is able to use the Group’s competitive buying deals to offer competitive prices to its customers as well as access to the building industry’s top brands and suppliers from the UK and beyond.
M&J has a long-standing relationship with GTI, being a supplier of some of its general building materials over the last seven years, so the acquisition was a logical next step to expand M&J across west and central Scotland. The acquisition allows M&J to service the Cowal peninsula and Argyll more easily and gives GTI access to h&b buying deals and a wider product offering for existing and potential customers in the area.
M&J has additionally acquired a 2-acre site adjacent to the existing GTI depot to accelerate the growth of the builders’ merchant division of the GTI business.
Mark Rodger of M&J Group said: “GTI compliments our already well-established brands in Scotland and this new acquisition fits exceptionally well with our vision to be the best provider of building products in the eyes of our customers, employees, suppliers, and communities. The existing management team, led by GTI Managing Director, Martin Clayton, as well as all staff are staying in place in their current roles, and we are excited about combining operational expertise and knowledge and aim to share best practice from all our business units to create a leading Scottish merchanting organisation.”
