Tom Croft trying his hand at building a Porotherm clay bock wall under the guidance of EH Smith Leicester branch manager Jamie Airey
A three-month redevelopment programme of the Enderby, Leicester branch of Builders’ Merchants EH Smith has been launched by the company’s CEO, John Parker, with customers also joining in the celebrations at a hog roast event with England and Leicester Tigers RFU star Tom Croft.
Tom built an impressive wall from Porotherm clay blocks; took on some of Leicestershire’s most competitive builders at darts and signed rugby balls for fans as young as three years old during the event, which saw more than 200 Leicestershire tradesmen joining in the celebrations.
The £100,000 redevelopment, which comes at a time of strong growth for the construction sector in the region, also sees thousands of EH Smith’s most popular items reduced in price and a move to fixed pricing for the first time in the company’s ninety-year history.
The redevelopment has doubled the number of product lines and introduced Good, Better and Best product options.
It also emphasises one of EH Smith’s USPs: its highly knowledgeable and experienced employees who offer specialist advice in areas such as bricks, timber, civils, and landscaping.
John Parker, Chief Executive of EH Smith said:
“This £100,000 redevelopment has transformed our site in Leicester, to meet demand, at a time when the construction industry is really starting to take off.
“We’ve opened up the site to make it easier for builders and other trades to drop in and pick up what they need – as well as having the traditional option of delivery to site. We’ve also price-matched our products against our competitors and broadened our ranges to make sure we offer an unbeatable service for builders, decorators, plumbers and engineering firms across Leicestershire and beyond.”
Tom Croft signs a rugby ball for young fan Lurein Wilson, aged 3
John added:
“Our customer base is up by 30% over the past twelve months. This is a strong indicator of growth in the region, but also evidence of EH Smith’s strength during the ongoing national brick shortage, attracting builders who are finding it impossible to get the bricks they need elsewhere. EH Smith currently has over 13 million bricks in stock.”
EH Smith is one of the Midlands’ oldest family businesses.
The company has operated in the region since 1922, and now has nine branches spanning from Leicester in the East Midlands across to Birmingham in the West Midlands and the Black Country, as well as branches in Essex and Hemel Hempstead.
The branch at Enderby, in Leicester, has been operating since 1978. It employs 51 people from the local area and serves a broad customer base from the Leicestershire construction trades, including builders, plumbers, carpenters, landscaping specialists and engineering firms undertaking large scale civils projects.
EH Smith notably supplied the drainage and civil engineering materials enabling the very first stretch of the M1 to be built.
Tom Croft (centre) with some of the 51 employees of EH Smith Leicester
Tom Croft (centre) with some of 200 Leicestershire builders who came to the hog roast, including Stephen Boyfield of Tamborough Construction, Leicester; Warren Spalding and Bradley Heggs of GB Civil Engineering, Leicester; Michael Sheppard of Hi-Gear, Enderby; Mark Loverage of Dakin & Loverage, Narborough and John Lavelle, Lavelle Developments of Oadby.
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