With six decades of operation under its belt, it is obvious Devon and Cornwall based Tamar Trading Building Supplies is doing something right. This is further underlined by its nomination for three separate BMJ Industry Awards including within the Small Merchant Category (1-8 branches).
“We’re extremely proud to have been nominated for the strength of our service and the offering we provide our customers,” explains Adam Haley, Director. “We strive to work closely with both our suppliers and our customers, so to be put forward for the Small Merchant award in particular is very pleasing.”
This emphasis on building relationships has been the bedrock on which Tamar has been built since 1958, when it was formed to service the needs of its sister company, JE Stacey & Co, the South-West-based construction business. While this link continues to this day, the company has also grown to meet the evolving needs of its third-party customers across Cornwall and Devon. It now has 75 employees operating out of four depots across the region (Holsworthy, Torrington, Bodmin and Bideford) with the possibility of further expansion also on the cards.
“We are exploring various opportunities regarding the opening of a fifth depot, but we will only proceed if the location meets our strategic needs, as it’s certainly not just about putting dots on the map,” says Adam. “It’s also important that we have the right people to make it work, as recruitment is tricky in the current climate. To help counter this, we are proactive when it comes to developing our people and promoting from within. We’re also highly focused on training to assist our staff in reaching their potential. For instance, we have put all our management team through the BMF Diploma in Merchant Management and helped a number of our employees become HGV drivers by supporting their training requirements.”
“We’re fortunate to have excellent branch management across the company and we provide them all with a high degree of autonomy. This allows them to make the changes they feel are necessary to achieve the best performance from their respective depot. This is vital because each of our sites has its own unique customer base and their requirements in terms of product range can be vastly different. This approach not only benefits our customers, as they’re receiving a service more tailored to their needs, but the managers themselves appreciate the level of trust we have in them. This freedom leads to greater ‘buy in’ from our managers and we like to think they’re more motivated as a result. Having the right people in the right positions is absolutely vital, so we do our best to retain them.
Another factor behind Tamar’s success is the ongoing investment it makes to its and its branch infrastructure and delivery fleet. This ensures its vehicles are reliable and its sites remain modern and well presented, with its showrooms being of such a high standard that the company has also been nominated at the BMJ Industry Awards for Merchant Bathroom and Kitchen Showroom of the Year and Lightside Showroom of the Year.
“Of course, there are always challenges to overcome, with stock and supply chain issues and the ever growing presents of AI combined with online fraud, but we’re working hard on this issue by introducing cyber security training. Ultimately, it’s all about providing customers with what they need in terms of service and product range, while ensuring the infrastructure is robust enough to support our activities.”
With its emphasis on customer service, serving it so well down the years – attracting award recognition in the process – it is clear that Tamar has developed into an excellent company in its own right. With further expansion on the cards, it is well placed to keep adding to its already impressive history and to continue making the most of the opportunities across the South-West in the months and years ahead.