The Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG), now said to be the largest independent builders’ merchant group in the South of England, has appointed Martin Stables as its Group Chief Commercial Officer.
Martin is highly experienced within the building distribution industry, with a proven track record of driving profitability and market share. He joins from Saint-Gobain Building Distribution, where he was previously Commercial Director for Graham, formerly Saint-Gobain’s £300m national plumbing merchant.
He brings a wealth of experience to IBMG, gained from leadership roles in procurement, category, merchandising, supply chain and pricing with Saint-Gobain and Jewson. In addition, Martin served on the management boards of Jewson and Graham brands.
Martin joins at a time of strategic change and focus, following IBMG’s merger with Grant & Stone. His experience of large integration and change management programmes will be invaluable as he brings together the commercial teams in each group to create a best-in-class commercial function for IBMG.
Reporting to Nick House, IBGM’s Group Chief Executive, Martin’s remit is to optimise the overall trading performance of the Group by developing and implementing a best practice approach to the group’s category management, procurement, and pricing. In parallel, he will develop a supplier strategy to maximise collaboration with the Group’s suppliers and to capitalise on the opportunities offered by the new larger organisation.
Martin said: “I am delighted to be joining IBMG – it offers exactly the type of opportunity that motivates me. It is at a really exciting point in its development and is ready to capitalise on its numerous growth opportunities. We have ambitious goals to fulfil and IBMG is well structured, with strong investor support, exceptional trading brands, first-rate employees and a well-deserved reputation for outstanding service. I look forward to contributing to the next phase of its development.”
Nick House added: “On behalf of all at IBMG, I am delighted to welcome Martin to the Group. He brings proven experience of delivering market share and best-in-class practices, which pair well with the expertise in our executive team. His knowledge and experience will be instrumental in helping us scale the business and generate further growth, to ensure that IBMG
fulfils its ambitions.”
The Independent Builders’ Merchant Group now has 135 branches operating from Cornwall to Kent, with combined revenues in excess of £500 million and over 1,700 employees.
