Hudson Reed owner snaps up Niko Distribution

Parent company of Hudson Reed, Ultra Finishing has just acquired bathroom supplier Niko Distribution, which is based in Halifax West Yorkshire. Niko Distribution manufactures and distributes shower enclosures, bathroom furniture, baths and sanitaryware to the merchant trade throughout the UK and Ireland.

The two businesses have worked together for years and will continue to trade as separate entities. Ultra Finishing will focus on the fulfilment of Premier/Niko products, together with its Hudson Reed and Ultra brands, while Niko will supply OEM customers.

Joining the board of Ultra Finishing, Tony Wood of Niko commented: “We are excited to announce this development, as we believe this acquisition will enable the two businesses to benefit from each other’s strengths, develop new opportunities together, and offer customers the best value for money together with marketing-leading service from their supply chain.”

It follows on from Ultra Finishing Group’s acquisition of Valquest, a UK manufacturer of thermostatic shower cartridges.

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Claygate invests £100,000 in training centre

 



Claygate Distribution premises in Marden, Kent



Claygate Distribution based in Marden, Kent, has invested over £100,000 in a new training centre for retail customers and its staff, to improve their product knowledge.

The training centre features over 100 products spanning mirrors, furniture, brassware and sanitaryware from a range of manufacturers including VitrA, Roca and Hudson Reed and will host bi-monthly courses.

These courses will cover generic product knowledge including underfloor heating, wetrooms, pumps and whirlpools, as well as manufacturer specific.

According to Andrew Streek, who owns the company along with his brother Mel: “Our customers benefit by having a sharper liaison with our sales team and hopefully we benefit from increased sales.”

Mel Streek added: “It will also help customer services team. If a customer rings up and says they have a problem with a product, our customer services team can now go over to the centre and have a look at the product. They can see what the customer is referring to and understand what the problem is.”

However, Claygate Distribution sees the training centre educating all staff members, throughout the business.

Mel Streek continued: “The new training centre will benefit Claygate because we are always growing and our new staff need training on the products, as well as keeping our current staff up-to-date.”

And Andrew Streek added: “It will [also] benefit the warehouse team because they will understand better how to handle the boxes as they will know what is in them.”

Claygate Distribution invested £8.5million into its site in 2008 and has recently received planning permission to build another 30,000 square foot building next year. 

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