Merchant buying group h&b continues its progress in recruiting new merchant partners with long-standing north Norfolk merchant CT Baker becoming the latest company to join the UK based buying group for independent builder’s merchants.
CT Baker is one of the longest-established builder’s merchant in England, formed 250 years ago in Holt, Norfolk in 1770, and is still family owned and run. In its long history the company has traded through four centuries and nine monarchs’ reigns, all under the ownership of one family.
In that time the business has gone through various incarnations including ironmonger, blacksmith and brewer before evolving into the modern merchanting business that it is today with four branches in Aylsham, Holt, North Walsham and Stalham.
Paul Pamment, Area General Manager at CT Baker is delighted to be joining the h&b family. “We have traded very successfully for 250 years but we realised that the best way forward for the business was to join a buying group, to improve the prices we could achieve and to streamline and develop our own buying processes,” he says. “After looking around for a while we realised that h&b was the best fit by far with the CT Baker business. Not only because they offered the best deals on the products that we sell the most, but also because we could bring something to the party as part of a mutually beneficial partnership.”
“We are really pleased that CT Baker has taken the decision to join our growing membership,” says h&b’s Jamie Wyatt. “The profile of the typical h&b partner is dynamic, locally strong, and with a real commitment to growth, service, quality, and innovation. As such, CT Baker fits h&b’s membership criteria perfectly.” The group is working strategically to grow its network of members, specifically targeting merchant businesses with locations, specialisms, and the calibre to benefit the whole group. “We work hard to ensure that the onboarding of new members is painless and seamless, supporting them in taking advantage of our great deals as quickly as possible without disrupting their business,” says Jamie.
