Tradelink and Paddock go British for supplies

Tradelink, having recently launched its new Homeguard trademark, is looking to British supplied hardware to lower carbon footprint of shipping materials to the UK.

Tradelink launches its Homeguard consumer security brand with a new trademarked logo.

The trade supplier with 16 years experience of understanding installers' businesses, begins a range of new exciting product developments, starting with Homeguard wihich is now sourced mainly from UK manufacturers.

Jim Moody, Tradelink Managing Director comments, "Designed to add peace of mind to the consumer that they are buying the most secure and highest quality hardware, our installers have yet another way to differentiate themselves.

Buying British to support our domestic markets is a sentiment sweeping across Britain in the wake of the global financial market meltdown.

"Tradelink supports this approach.

"As part of our World Class Manufacturing business strategy, we constantly review suppliers to ensure that we are in a position to pass on the best quality and value for money to our customers.

"One of the areas we looked at closely was hardware we used to source from abroad.

"However, we were getting concerned about predicted price hikes due to volatility in the import markets and had started to experience a few quality issues.

"Selling in excess of 250,000 handles and locks every year, this is obviously an area over which we need to maintain firm control.

"Having researched the market, we were surprised to discover that switching our supply to British hardware wherever possible made tangible commercial sense from a value for money, quality, environmental and innovation perspective.

We discovered how the high cost of foreign exchange could add as much as 20 per cent to current costs.

"Increasing awareness of the carbon footprint of goods being shipped to the UK was also a consideration, something that one of our new suppliers Paddock helped us get over".

Paul Atkinson, Paddock Sales Director comments on Paddock's new relationship with Tradelink, "In response to an increasingly tight market, Tradelink set us the challenge of improving their door hardware specification whilst maintaining the competitiveness and high quality that their installers rely on.

The Paddock Lockmaster brand fit the bill with its strong brand awareness and market providence.

Working closely with Tradelink, we then incorporated further bespoke product enhancements including new lock configurations to offer improved size parameters on the finished doors, and the addition of metal buckets to the shootbolt strikers and end tidies to the one piece door strikers for a superior aesthetic finish.

The end result is the superb Homeguard Lockmaster.

Paddock is one of only a few hardware suppliers able to deliver on Kan Ban which means Tradelink installers will benefit from locks being supplied to 'line side' on bespoke 'A' frame stillages, thus speeding up the supply chain and eliminating packaging waste.

Jim concludes, "Buying British has put us in a position to offer superior and reliable lead times, fast resolution of problems if things go wrong, and closer relationships with suppliers with whom we can sit down face to face to discuss issues or product developments on behalf of our customers.

There's also an advantage on stock holding with pipeline stock reduced by up to 50 per cent for both parties.

Of course, supporting our fellow domestic manufacturers is also something in which we can take pride.

In our experience, Britain has some first class options and market leaders when it comes to sourcing hardware products.

I believe economic recovery starts at home, so where possible companies should try to buy British, thus supporting jobs and encouraging our own industries.

I believe now more than ever we should support where we can.

Switching to UK hardware supply is Tradelink's small contribution to do just this".

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