h&b member Markovitz continues its ambitious plans to expand its existing drylining and insulation operation further South, with the opening of new depots in Bedford and Bridgwater.
From a standing start in 2019, the Markovitz drylining and insulation division now trades from ten depots – covering the majority of the UK, from the Highlands of Scotland to Cornwall – with plans for further branches to open throughout 2021. The group reports that the focus of this new distribution business is on “combining national coverage and a strong connection with the trade community local to each branch”.
Director Mike Davies-Key, who heads up the drylining and insulation division, said: “The business has grown with the right people. Our aim is to build strong local businesses based on strong local relationships, just like our original builders’ and plumbers’ merchants in Derbyshire.”
“The cooperation we have received from h&b has been invaluable and moving forward we are delighted to be selling internally throughout the group, helping ease pressure on supply for our fellow h&b members across the UK.”
This ambitious growth plan has been aided by the support and backing of the h&b Group, assisting with allocation of core products, including technical and acoustic insulation, drylining, and fire protection products. “This expansion would have been much more difficult if we were not h&b members,” says Mike. “The cooperation we have received from h&b has been invaluable and moving forward we are delighted to be selling internally throughout the group, helping ease pressure on supply for our fellow h&b members across the UK.”
Like so many of the truly independent merchants in the h&b group, Markovitz remains a family-owned and run business with an 86-year history. The group now encompasses eighteen depots, two luxury kitchen and bathroom showrooms and two specialist stove and cooker showrooms. Markovitz also boasts its very own two AA-rosette awarded restaurant The Merchant’s Yard, based in the heart of the Peak District National Park within the original business premises bought by Maurice Markovitz in 1935.
h&b is a truly national merchant buying group with sales approaching £1bn a year though its growing membership of independent builders’ merchants. 107 h&b merchant members with more than 285 branches are trading in partnership with around 280 suppliers. h&b offers its merchant members a real opportunity to improve profitability and grow market share by being part of the most progressive buying group in the UK.
