Both Imperial Bricks and DW Burn have recently joined the National Buying Group (NBG).
Imperial Bricks
Imperial Bricks is now an approved supplier to all members of the NBG independent merchant buying group.
The company is experiencing strong growth with its wide range of imperial and metric-sized bricks, brick slips and complementary lime mortar (Limetec) and brick tint (Bebbington). A proactive merchant sales team and marketing tools such as POS and brick library displays have opened up new selling opportunities for merchants and improved brand awareness.
Jason Hughes, Managing Director at Imperial Bricks comments: “We’re continually increasing our product range to include more regionally-sensitive bricks. We’re also developing a new brick slip system, have introduced a Brick Matcher app and provided ongoing support for merchants. Joining NBG means better deals for independent merchants and encourages them to take a look at what Imperial Bricks could do for their margins.”
Mark Smith, Purchasing Manager at Grant & Stone and Brick and Block Category Management Team Member at NBG adds: “We’re pleased to welcome Imperial Bricks as a new supplier brand. Existing NBG members who already use Imperial Bricks will benefit from the same sales and product support as before, and potential new customers can expand their offering of traditional handmade bricks.”
Visit www.imperialbricks.co.uk for further information.
DW Burn
NBG has also welcomed a new merchant member to the Group recently; Surrey-based plumbing supplies and bathroom specialist DW Burn.
DW Burn has two branches in Woking and Farnham along with an impressive bathroom showroom and a contracting arm. Established in the 1960s, the company is still family- owned and run with current MD Toby Hoyle taking the helm from his father in 2005. That family ethos is still important to DW Burns with staff retention and loyalty a key to the business’s success. The Burns showroom is one of the largest in Surrey and houses a wide range of bathrooms and associated products and the company provides a full design and technical service.
Toby Hoyle is clear why he wanted to take Burns into a buying Group but is pleased to find that joining NBG comes with many added benefits. “We were struggling to achieve decent margin in plumbing products and even considered getting out of that business at one stage,” he says. “We looked at joining a buying group to improve those margins and NBG came highly recommended to us by many of our suppliers as the best in the business.”
But as well as improved margins, DW Burns will see other benefits from NBG membership. “NBG deals will make our purchasing processes much quicker, easier and more streamlined,” says Toby. “As an independent family-run business we struggled to find the time to organise our own deals and found that on our own we did not have the clout to negotiate with the larger suppliers. Now we have a seat at the top table with NBG.
“It is also a massive advantage to be able to network with fellow merchants who are running similar business, facing the same challenges and finding solutions in the same marketplace as us,” he adds. “And every one of them understands what it’s like to be an independent merchant too.”
