The UK's best builders' merchants have been celebrated at the 18th annual Builders' Merchants Awards.

Held in partnership with the Builders Merchants Federation, the awards recognise the best and the brightest in the merchant industry.

This year's ceremony was hosted by Dame Kelly Holmes MBE at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Friday 22 November.

Yeovil-based Bradfords Building Supplies was a big winner on the night, securing the prize for Independent Builders' Merchant of the Year.

The judges were made up of a panel of key industry stakeholders from the Federation of Master Builders, Builders Merchants Association (BMA), Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants and the Construction Products Association (CPA). They cited the hard work the Bradfords team have put in to deliver innovative and best in class service for customers and suppliers alike. In particular, the company's focus on providing the easiest customer journey by utilising technology. The online trade portal that was created by the in-house development team gives account customers a full service – from buying online using their specific terms, to providing a detailed history of transactions and an ability to pay accounts – and was one of the tools judges were most impressed by.


Commenting on the win, David Young, CEO, Bradfords Building Supplies said: "This accolade is a celebration of our 'can do' culture. This award belongs to our 700-strong team across our network of 43 branches who always put customer service first. This is a super starting point from which to kickstart our 250th anniversary in 2020."

(CM/JG)