Two new merchants from south west England have joined buying group H&B’s Development Group.

The Development Group was established in 2018, and offers smaller merchants access to the benefits of membership of a growing buying group, with structures and strategies in place to help them to achieve the turnover required to take them to the next level, into the main H&B group.

The H&B management team aims to steer up to twenty-five merchants a year through the system, filling their place with new recruits as they graduate. Suitably qualified independent merchants can apply to join at www.tbgdevelopmentgroup.com.

H&B’s Allan Durning said: “These two south west merchants have committed to progressing their business in the H&B Development Group.

“This continued growth shows the appetite amongst strong, stable, smaller merchants to take advantage of the benefits that buying group membership offers, not least excellent rebates, the best buying deals in the business, and support and mentorship from successful merchants who have trodden this path before.”

H&B members have sales approaching £1 billion a year through its growing membership of independent builders’ merchants. Currently, 75 H&B merchant members with more than 215 branches are trading in partnership with around 280 suppliers across 400 deals.