23 GTE-E01-S3-JANUARY 19, 2016
Plans for five new branches to build on five years of growth A
FIVE year expansion plan has been launched by a Scunthorpe business as it looks to complete an incredible decade of growth. The Builders’ Merchant Company is looking to add five branches to create a regional network, using The Brickyard in Scotter Road South as the “mothership”. Final stages of planning are being progressed for the first in Hull, building on five strong years in northern Lincolnshire. Managing director Duncan Thomson, from Waltham, has overseen growth of 88 per cent since joining in 2010. He said: “We cannot grow any more from our base. Fuel costs are huge, we do a lot of work on the north bank, so it was obvious to us to open there. “We are targeting opening five new branches in the next five years. We feel we do things differently, we are very service orientated. What the customer wants, the customer gets. “I started out at Travis Perkins, and I was at head office when it opened the 100th branch. They are now at 1,500 branches in various guises. At some point someone in there said ‘we can grow’. We have a very positive and successful method of selling, we don’t say you can only by ‘x’, if a customer wants ‘y’ we will get it.” Son Alistair has come on board as regional sales manager of the business, which reverted to its original name from Harrison And Jewitt in 2011. “He has brought in new customers and that has given us confidence that we could expand further,” Mr Thomson said. “We like being independent and we like being local, we also like being able to take on local people and help develop them.” Expansion begins with Sutton Fields, to the north of Hull city centre, this spring, with six more employees joining, to be led by Stephen Quigley, who will manage the branch. TEAMWORK: Giles Barker and Stuart Turner of Flixborough Eco-Technologies.
BIG AMBITION: Alastair Thomson, Duncan Thomson and Stephen Quigley at Builders’ Merchant Company Ltd, The Brickyard, Scotter Road South, Scunthorpe. “This will be the mothership, we will feed from here,” Mr Thomson said of the former brickyard just off South Park Industrial Estate. “This is 4.5 acres, Hull is roughly an acre. “We are looking at Goole and Lincoln, a whole circle from here. Gainsborough, if large enough,
possibly Doncaster. We are a Scunthorpe business and that is where we are staying. This will become a head office.” With the business turning over £3 million, Mr Thomson hopes to add £1.25 million with each satellite branch.
“We are looking at the Aldi effect,” he added. “The individual branches will sell what people buy regularly, as opposed to putting lots of shelving in and filling it. Items that sell in Scunthorpe will be stocked there, the more out of the ordinary stuff we can supply from here.”
The business is closing in on 90 years of trading, having been launched in 1928. It was originally based in John Street, Scunthorpe, and joined forces with Winteringham Brothers timber importers of Grimsby during the Second World War.
City to benefit from efficiency expertise NORTHERN Lincolnshire Business Awards winner Flixborough Eco Technologies has expanded into Lincoln. Having a background in renewable energy and a keen interest for business energy saving solutions, managing director Giles Barker set up the business in Scunthorpe. Now, after celebrating its third anniversary a second office has been added. Energy efficiency consultant Stuart Turner has been promoted to technical director and will head up the new office. Mr Barker said: “It was always a part of the business plan to open an office in Lincoln. We’re excited about the expansion and hope that businesses in Lincoln share the same ‘deal local’ ambition as businesses in
Scunthorpe and Grimsby. “There are so many energy saving solutions a business can benefit from; it’s not all solar PV! Some businesses think they wouldn’t see a benefit with the services we provide, however I am pleased to say we have never been unsuccessful in helping a business reduce their costs. The huge savings and real solutions we’ve been able to deliver are what drive us forward and make our jobs so worthwhile. We’re all truly excited to be bringing Flixborough Eco Technologies to Lincoln.” Mr Barker was renewable energies design project manager for Doncaster-based construction giant Keepmoat, and was brought up in Whitton, the Humber bank village. His dad had a family business
operating from Flixborough, and Mr Barker launched from that unit, but last June he moved to Normanby Gateway on Lysaghts Way, Scunthorpe. Mr Turner said: “As a sustainability professional, I am extremely passionate about the industry and greatly looking forward to the opportunity to head up the new office in Lincoln. Flixborough Eco Technologies is a great company to work for and the job satisfaction of saving companies money is second to none. It can be difficult for businesses to understand exactly what goes into energy saving solutions but that’s what we’re here for. We take great pride in our work and have a passion to future-proof businesses and households.”