#AmazingAccrington - Autumn 2019

The ONLY independent, FAMILY RUN ,

A substantial investment that’s taken over 6 years to achieve – now proudly sitting at the base ofWhinny Hill on their new site, Greengates Builders Merchants were happy to show #AmazingAccrington around.

builders merchants in East Lancashire!

Looking at the shiny structures, the fully stocked store and one-way systemwith full directional signage, you can tell it’s been designed by experts. With a quick pause to answer some customer enquiries, Steve demonstrated his hands-on approach and knowledge, making sure every customer had exactly what they required, giving advice when needed. Steve left school at 15 and went straight into the building industry. “My dad was a partner in a company called John Aspens Builder’s Merchants, so I went straight into that. Around 7 years later they sold out to a Scottish company who basically ran it into the ground! Myself and another who worked in the office set up Greengates Builder’s Merchants in response to this. After looking all over Lancashire, the opportunity for a premises and yard came up in Accrington, that’s where Greengates has been ever since. Our site was great; it has served us well but being surrounded by houses there was only so much expansion we could achieve.

Greengates provide building materials and timber to trade and DIY, catering to everyone, from independent builders, renovators and members of the public, to commercial businesses. You would never know Greengates is an independently run builder’s merchants, driving into the facility is like entering a small village. There is the butty/burger van on site, welcome signs and upon entering the store you are greeted with smiles and offers of help, from a team that are clearly all best mates! They made the move on the 28th July after a long journey to get the new site up to scratch. We chatted with Steven Pickup, Managing Director at Greengates to find out what makes this site so much better than the previous one. “In 1987 we first got our site onWhalley Road, after 32 years there, after multiple extensions and nowhere else to expand out to, we made the decision to find a new site.” The #AmazingAccrington business saw the need for a purpose- built yard that allows all sizes of vehicles to enter, which meant starting from scratch. “We wanted to stay in Accrington, it’s who we are, our community is here. We looked at land for development, had to apply for planning permission... it was a lengthy process.” Steve explained to us that the space was previously overgrown trees, the land was on a slope and they started completely from scratch, with a lot of changes along the way.

There are products we have wanted to stock for years but not had the facilities to.” From a small team and small site to 18 members of staff and a large investment, Greengates Builders Merchants are very much, open for business. “The new site has allowed us to concentrate more on our timber supply, nowwe’ve got additional space. We have also expanded out heavy building materials and our DIY side too.. along with keeping all the previous products we used to stock.” With just over a month in the new site, already the facility has attracted new business. “ Our regular customers are ecstatic with the move, plus it has aracted new business already. Through both word of mouth and those who came to us previously requesting products we just couldn’t deliver. We have very much responded to the demand and it’s going brilliantly. “The site is currently two and a half acres and there is another two acres behind the fence line. So, we have the potential for another 100% expansion for the future, which is the aim. If you go to most merchants, you’ll discover that they never have enough room, due to the large stock items, we wanted to make sure we do! At the previous site, deliveries coming on an Arctic would cause chaos in the yard, causing traffic jams. It was quite stressful really. Nowwe have a one-way system, there’s no traffic issues and the customers love it. We can easily fit tractors, lorries, vehicles of any size without causing issues. And now, all deliveries that arrive on

large Arctic’s are done so right at the opposite end, well away from the customers, so it’s not blocking their vehicles. The traffic flow is 110%better.” What makes Greengates different? “Customer service, staff knowledge and delivery service. Customers can order over the phone or online and have it delivered, come in and have it delivered or use their own vehicles for collection. We offer timber priced more competitively and the fact that we offer a full range of associated products is a great draw for many people too. We are a local, family run operation, offering a personal service , a knowledge base and a large, modern premises to compete with other businesses in terms of both price and service.” With a brand-newwebsite that’s user friendly and a responsive team for incoming calls, people can buy fromGreengates through many ways. There are even plans in the near future to allow online purchases! Call 01254 872061 , visit the website: www.greengates.co.uk or visit them Mon-Fri 7:30am- 5pm, Sat 7:30am-12pm.

We are a local,

family run operation, offering a personal service

Above: Greengates new site at Whinney Hill Road. Right: The team answering customer enquiries in the office. Company Director Steve Pickup. Greengates store offering thousands of products.

1Whinney Hill Road, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 5FT.

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