The five new Partners include two new East London based merchants, builders merchants near Walsall and Sheffield, and a plumbing and heating supplier in Bristol with a specialism in renewables.
Formed in 2003, NBG brings together a community of partners to improve business profitability and growth opportunities by committing to buy products together.
Negotiating best deals
Combining buying power allows partners to secure better supplier trading terms than would be possible individually by providing an efficient route to market for suppliers. Each agreement is negotiated and managed by product experts, to get the best deal for partners, saving everyone time, money and effort by sharing knowledge and workload.
Managing director Nick Oates says that discussions with even more potential recruits continue apace.
“We stated a few months ago that our pipeline of potential new Partners was historically strong. We have now begun delivering on that potential with five new Partners bringing a diverse range of specialisms to the group. But we’re not stopping here, the pipeline remains strong and we’re confident that we will be making further announcements in the coming weeks and months.”
Nick says that the independent merchant sector is receptive to the NBG message: “Our democratic ideals, founded on the philosophy of ‘one Partner, one vote’ is proving highly attractive to merchants who want a real say in how their buying group is run and are wary of an overly centralised approach that dictates rather than manages by consensus.
“We believe our focus on buying deals through developing a strong community spirit results in everyone supporting each other. We’re confident in our approach and we believe there is more to come.”