STOCKTON: An independent merchant is leading the way in retail development with the opening of a new outlet in spite of the recession. JT Dove invested £1.5m in the depot which it said is part of an ongoing expansion plan in the North East.
The 1.6-acre site on the Portrack Interchange Business Park in Stockton has a 15 000sq ft warehouse storing a range of products, materials and equipments "to suit everyone, from the professional tradesman to the DIY enthusiast," said Martin Jackolins, the new site's manager.
"The Stockton branch, is one of 10 of our outlets in the North East. It been purpose-built to meet all the requirements of a successful builders' merchants and is part of a three year-long plan to ensure that JT Dove can fully concentrate on the needs of our retail and trade customers alike.
"We are now situated in a newly developed business park, which offers easy access and a busy trade and retail environment.
"With the infrastructure already in place, we will shortly be branching out into new divisions of the building industry such as plumbing, heating and landscaping. At present, we are preparing to install a bathroom showroom, which has been specifically designed for the Stockton site."
The depot is one of many new developments within JT Dove. The merchant will be celebrating its 140th anniversary this year.
Steve Robinson, the merchant's managing director, said: "The investment is being driven by our ambitious growth targets and a need to optimise operations so that we remain the regions' leading builders' merchants."
Mr Jackolins started with JT Dove 22 years ago when he was 16, as a trainee salesperson. As well as managing a team of 16, Mr Jackolins will deal with the overall running of the Stockton depot, assisting customers and securing orders. His main focus is to manage the branch so that it continues to offer the complete package to all customers, from large contractors to jobbing builders to retail customers doing DIY.
