Joe Wareham, from Digby Stone, credits Beesley & Fildes as being ‘the ideal partner’ during their seven-year collaboration which has helped drive sales in the landscaping market.

With healthy lines of communication it’s clear the two companies are in sync, with both how they tackle the future and present challenges.

This work has seen Beesley & Fildes travel to India to tour Digby Stone’s porcelain and natural stone factories.

“Beesley & Fildes’ long history and plans for the future are massively reassuring for us a business.

“The team is very open to new ideas and that makes them an ideal partner for us,” says Wareham.

“We’re looking forward to exploring these ideas in the months ahead and generating opportunities for further growth.”

Beesley & Fildes, an independent builders merchant, began working with the suppliers of natural stone and porcelain paving in 2008 which, in 2021, was acquired by Global Stone.

The strength of the relationship has seen Beesley & Fildes expand its Digby Stone product range, with more than 25 natural stone and porcelain paving products now available.

Wareham knows that collaboration is crucial for survival for Digby Stone, but he stresses the company doesn’t just want to partner with anyone.

Wareham says: “As an independent brand, it’s vital we forge strong partnerships with merchants.

“We do what we say we’re going to do and seek partners that adopt the same ethos.

“This ensures open and honest lines of communication that benefit both parties, including an understanding of how we can help each other to deliver successful outcomes.”

During the tour to India, James Beesley commercial director at Beesley and Fildes, spoke of how good it was to not only see the new sandstone, but to see how it could be incorporated into designing stores.

Beesley says: “During our tour, the new Fusion premium sandstone was laid across the floor and we knew straight away, that if we were to replicate that display in our branches, we could generate strong sales.

“It’s been a great success and led to a significant number of orders.”

As part of this ever-present theme of collaboration, Digby Stone has launched a rewards scheme which provides loyalty points to landscaping contractors who purchase products via merchants.

By way of thanks, Beesley & Fildes reciprocates by investing heavily in branch displays and online marketing taking advantage of their experience in landscaping.

Beesley says: “We’ve always had a strong focus on landscaping, so have a lot of experience in displaying products and understanding what works from a marketing perspective.

“We’re proactive and seek to create an impact with large displays that showcase a wide variety of products rather than a more limited range.

“We’ve also invested in improving our website to drive sales and promotions, which has enabled us to expand our geographical reach and sell Digby Stone products nationally.”

A proactive approach has also proved critical to achieving certainty of supply during the Red Sea crisis and in response to wider economic uncertainty.

The collaboration extends to sharing information with each other and strategizing together to negotiate uncertainty.

Beesley says: “We work very closely with the Digby Stone team to get a thorough understanding of lead times, when we need to order, and how price points may fluctuate in the weeks ahead.

“We share our forecast and then using all information available to us, develop our own strategy to make sure the right products are on the shelf at the right time.”

Looking ahead, both businesses are keen to continue to evolve the partnership and both companies emphasise the need to keep looking for new ideas.

Beesley reflects: “As a business, we never stand still.

“We’re always looking for ways in which we can keep expanding our offer, improving our service and strengthening relationships with our partners.

“Landscaping is key to this and with the support of Digby Stone, we know there’s the potential to further enhance this part of our business, including targeting more products towards customers nationally.”

Wareham concludes: “Beesley & Fildes’ long history and plans for the future are massively reassuring for us a business.

“The team is very open to new ideas and that makes them an ideal partner for us.

“We’re looking forward to exploring these ideas in the months ahead and generating opportunities for further growth.”