Builders Merchant JT Dove has neared the £60m milestone in revenue and is celebrating its 150th year in business.
The latest accounts released by the company, which has nineteen branches across the North East, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders, show a turnover of £58.8m up to the end of 2018, an increase of over 12% from the previous year.
Managing director, Steve Robinson, explains: “The growth has been across the whole of our business Building Materials, Plumbing & Heating and Contract Sales as well. The success of the turnover is down to good customer service and a consistent strategy in these changing and uncertain times.”
As JT Dove was founded in Newcastle in 1869, the company is also marking its 150th anniversary this year.
Staff are celebrating this double achievement by joining the effort to raise £100,000.00 for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) of the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. This includes 25 members of the team completing the dreaded Great North Run this week and raising £8,000.00 in the process.
The fundraising drive will culminate at the Supplier Dinner Dance in November, which is being held at the Crowne Plaza, Newcastle. On the occasion, the team aims to raise £25,000.00 towards the final target.
Commenting on the past financial year and on furture plans for the company, Robinson said: “I am delighted the Herbert Dove Trustees sanctioned a profit share payment equivalent to 13.3% of salary to every colleague, an appreciation of their hard work, loyalty and commitment.”
“Accordingly, pre-tax profit has increased from £2.3m to £2.4m and plans for next year are to expand with new product and additional customer service initiatives throughout our current sites. There will also be a focus on developing the company’s online capability.”
“However there is no denying that Brexit is starting to bite and we are seeing some confidence in the RPI market drift, particularly on fashionable spend such as kitchen & bathroom. We also have smaller developers putting off new housing developments until Brexit is sorted one way or the other.”
“We launch our new Enterprise Resource Planning system in January which will further enhance our Customer Relationship Management and improve the customer experience. It will also improve our environmental credentials as it is largely paperless.”
