Parker Building Supplies Ltd has announced a £1.2m investment in two new sites, including a specialist joinery centre.
The Sussex and Kent independent timber and builders merchant will open a joinery operation adjacent to its Hailsham site, plus a general merchanting branch at Haywards Heath. Both operations are expected to open by the spring of 2006.
The £18m turnover family-owned company acknowledges that the general trading climate has been poor in 2005 but says it is maximising opportunities to make sure the business keeps going forward.
Joinery products to be sold at the new Hailsham unit include windows, doors and staircases, with the target market including jobbing builders, the general public, plus housebuilders.
Stewart Pierce, Parker’s financial director, said: “We are a general builders merchants which is putting specialist products in stand-alone units. We are trying to make sure we market ourselves well and maximise the opportunities out there.”
He said the Uckfield-based company has been receiving bigger enquiries for its joinery products, which includes the JELD-WEN range.
Parker has diversified its product offering since being founded in 1984, with timber business expanding from what was originally mainly a heavyside business. Timber sales now make up about 30% of turnover and the Crowborough depot supplies wood products to the branch network.
The company recently won several prizes at the Builders Merchants Awards for Excellence 2005, organised by Builders’ Merchant News at London Savoy’s Hotel. It scooped best training initiative and best hard landscaping display, and was runner-up in the best marketing initiative category sponsored by Finnforest.
