Independent merchant buying group h&b has added a new merchant member – Darlaston Builders Merchants in the West Midlands.

The five-branch merchant takes the h&b total membership to 105.

Family-owned and run, Darlaston was set up 35 years ago; the original founder still serves as managing director and two of his sons also on the board. The company, which turns over more than £16 million, started out with one branch in Darlaston; there are now four depots – Darlaston, Wednesbury, West Bromwich, and Birmingham, plus a well-established plumbing outlet in Darlaston. A sixth depot is due to open in Wallsall in September, with another one in central Birmingham next year.

“With the growth we have seen in recent years we decided that the next phase should be to step up to a substantial buying group to allow us to compete really effectively with the nationals and put us on a more substantial footing with the major suppliers,” says Steve Lally, operations director at Darlaston.

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“We are really looking forward to reaping the benefits, especially in the form of competitive buying. This will help us to grow our business further, particularly with two new branch openings we have planned. We are already impressed with the remarkable scope of deals that have opened up to us on joining h&b, giving us access to more new, innovative and profitable product ranges.”