Builders’ merchants act as the intermediary between manufacturers and the end-user, which can be individuals, tradespeople or suppliers. But what part do they play in construction?
How do builders’ merchants operate?
Builders’ merchants are involved in all aspects of building materials, from their design all the way through to their supply. This means that the industry requires designers, engineers, and IT specialists at the earliest stages of product design, with an additional need for staff in warehouses, branches, and in transport and logistics to ensure that their products make it to end-users or onto shelves. With some of the dominating builders’ merchants having branches across the entire country, this can lead to a huge number of jobs being created in the industry.
Which are the main builders’ merchants?
Travis Perkins is without a doubt the biggest name in the business, and its annual turnover is as impressive as its reputation. It has over 1,000 branches and boasted a turnover of just under £5billion in 2022, up from £4.6billion the previous year.
Stark Building Materials UK may not have as many branches but it still had an impressive turnover of £2.4billion in 2022, with just over 630 branches to its name.
Working in branches can be really rewarding so if you would like to find builders merchants jobs near you then take a look at https://bmcareers.com/ to see what is on offer in your region.
An insight into the way builders’ merchants operate
Builders’ merchants will supply to individuals carrying out DIY tasks, but the majority of their customers will be tradespeople. These tradespeople, who buy in large quantities, might be offered more attractive prices if they open up an account, and this trade account will usually come with a personal account manager who is responsible for building long-lasting relationships with the customer.
Part of their role will be to get to know customers and the products they use so that they can be a reliable and knowledgeable source going forward, ensuring the tradesperson always gets the best possible price on products.