H&B today have formally launched its TBG Development Group. The group offers small to medium-sized merchants the opportunity to join a buying group where traditionally they may have been considered too small to participate.

The group offers a vast range of negotiated deals as well as a route into the H&B merchant group, subject to meeting growth and performance criteria. In the first year, participation in the TBG development group will be restricted to 25 participating merchants.

Allan Durning, Managing Director of the TBG Development Group, said: “This is an industry first for small to medium-sized merchants, offering great growth potential and real bottom-line improvements as well as the security of being part of a larger organisation. After all is said and done it’s about buying and buying better, and not having endless meetings and negotiations consuming valuable time that your business requires from you.”

Tony Sharkey, Managing Director of the Development Group’s first member JTD Ltd, said: “I always wanted to be part of H&B Group but the challenge for us was to achieve the turnover necessary to access the buying group. Joining the TBG Development Group will enable us to grow which is great timing as we are about to open a new branch. I would urge any small merchant out there to consider the TBG Development Group and do that now.”

Nick Lander, Managing Director of H&B Group, said: “The launch of the TBG Development Group is part of an ambitious five-year plan which will see H&B continue to grow significantly, and in doing so see the delivery of a number of industry-first initiatives.”