THIRTEEN, the largest landlord group in the North East, has teamed up with Travis Perkins Managed Services, the UK’s leading Timber and Builders Merchant, to make £10 million of efficiency savings in the landlord’s operations.
A partnership project between the two organisations has created the largest managed stores facilities in the country, which will significantly improve how materials for housing maintenance are used and the efficiency of procurement processes. This will lead to significant long-term savings on current operations, as well as consolidating jobs.
Three newly-leased stores facilities have been opened at Ross Road, Stockton; Park View Industrial Estate, Hartlepool; and Skippers Lane in Middlesbrough. The Stockton store will also serve as a central distribution hub for the other two stores, allowing for greater stock flexibility and availability. All three facilities are being managed by Travis Perkins Managed Services as Thirteen Group’s new external delivery partner.
Thirteen already benefits from bulk buying of building materials but the Group expects to make savings of around £10 million over the lifetime of this new arrangement which will arise from more flexible and efficient operations of its stores facilities. Travis Perkins Managed Services’ one-stop-shop solution is being delivered by a combination of dedicated Thirteen Group stores and by using the building merchant’s existing branch network.
As part of this process, staff members from Thirteen are transferring to Travis Perkins with two being promoted to managers for the new stores.
Russell Thompson, Group Director of Property Services at Thirteen, said: “Travis Perkins is one of the largest suppliers to the UK’s building and construction industry with a national network of more than 650 branches. This agreement gives us access to more than 100,000 product lines including building materials, plumbing and heating equipment, landscaping materials, timber and sheet materials, painting and decorating supplies, dry lining and insulation, doors and joinery. All of which is essential to the maintenance and upkeep of our property portfolio.
“The new stores will allow us to substantially reduce travelling time for transporting materials to our sites across the Tees Valley. They will also provide vital facilities for staff such as welfare facilities, meeting rooms and hot desks for access to IT equipment, and training spaces for our staff.
“Streamlining our procurement processes and the way we use building materials will not only lead to significant efficiency savings for the Group, but will also improve our services and increase customer satisfaction in general.”
Stuart Hough, Managing Director of Travis Perkins said: “We are delighted to be providing Thirteen Group with three managed stores facilities in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool.
“These stores will deliver the operational foundations for a strong working partnership, providing operatives with easy access to repairs and maintenance materials. Through a collaborative working partnership with Thirteen Group we are looking forward to supporting the continual improvements in the repairs and maintenance service provided to tenants. We look forward to working alongside the Tees Valley community and delivering tangible benefits to all.”