Midland Lead and IBC work together to offer excellent value to group members
Here at Midland Lead, we’re proud to be one of the 115 suppliers working with the IBC group – the UK’s fastest growing buying group for independent builders’ merchants.
Representing some 215 members, IBC is always looking for ways to bolster merchant relationships, as is Midland Lead. That’s why our area sales manager Kyle Hazeldine and IBC’s East Midlands membership executive Robin Riordan recently took the time to visit one of the group’s members, Matsons Building & Roofing Merchants.
Based in Leicester, independent builders and timber merchant Matsons stocks a comprehensive range of building supplies and trade products. Prior to the visit, Matsons was using IBC for lots of general building products, including insulation and plumbing supplies, but was sourcing lead separately.
With an already strong relationship with the general manager Abu Omar, Robin took the opportunity to introduce Kyle and the benefits of buying Midland Lead’s product through the group.
Robin says: “IBC has been working with Midland Lead for many years now, and during that time we’ve developed an excellent understanding of their product. We also recently had the opportunity to visit Midland Lead’s premises for a factory tour and product training, which gave me even more insight into the company and appreciation as to how much goes into the product’s manufacture. This strong relationship with Midland Lead and other leading UK suppliers allows us to offer a high level of service and all the assets our members need to succeed.”
As IBC’s rate is calculated monthly, merchants can also benefit from a fixed price for the entire month; a fantastic advantage in terms of buying lead sheet, which can fluctuate in price on a weekly basis.
At Midland Lead, we also have special offers for both new and existing IBC members. For example, we offer exclusive new products a month before they’re released to the general market at a discounted rate, which sees us spotlight anything from our new Lead Sealant and Patination Oil CDU to our new Slate Cutter and Punch.
Offering his thoughts on the visit, Abu comments: “It’s great to see Midland Lead being proactive in this way. As a small independent merchant, I really appreciate face-to-face meetings like this one. They’re great for building relationships, which is what this industry is built on.”
Following the meeting, Abu proceeded to make his first purchase from Midland Lead last month – an order of premium machine cast lead, lead sealant and multi-slates.
A successful visit for all parties involved, Kyle and Robin say they plan to organise more meetings of this nature in the near future. “These visits allow us to join forces and lead to great communication between each party,” says Robin. “We’ve also done them with Ronseal and Ultratape, and hope to do more.”
Kyle adds: “The visit was a fantastic opportunity to meet Abu and learn more about what he looks for in an ideal supplier, from price to quality. It’s certainly something we’d like to do more of at Midland Lead. Working together with IBC, we can offer great value to their members.”
If you’d like to arrange a visit with Midland Lead and IBC to learn more about the exclusive offers you can benefit from, call Claire Burchell or Kyle Hazeldine at Midland Lead on 01283 224 555.
