Welcome to our latest newsletter…
It’s been a very busy spring and signs are that it’s not going to calm down. There has been a consistent uptake of our ‘Stores within Stores’ with the resulting open days netting a phenomenal increase in turnover (see news item below), and we’re very pleased to announce that Ben Knowles, Clive’s son, joins us this month as purchasing manager.

The weather has meant unprecedented sales of our products; garden centres are reporting ‘sell out’ weekends, so make sure that you order in enough stock to cover yourself. If you think that you might need to order within the next few weeks call now to let us know, we can then make sure that you’re not disappointed.

Ben Knowles joins us this month as purchasing manager after graduating from Liverpool university with a degree in business.
Ben, son of MD Clive Knowles, who has been working with us in his university breaks, is keen to make his mark here at BCMW. This is a family business with the emphasis very much on the balance between being a large and efficient company whilst still retaining vital family values.

Ben has been thrown in at a very busy time here but we know that he’ll thrive, contributing fresh ideas over the coming months. We all wish him well.

Also joining us is Glenn Rickwood our new operations manager. Glenn comes to us from a large national company background where a meteoric rise took him from ground level to £7m project team leader in just a few years, we look forward to being able to tap into his vast experience.

Our Open Days are proving a great success for ‘Store within a Store’ customers. Our latest being Endsleigh, Huntingdon & Cadbury Garden & Leisure. Each of these saw a parade of customers through their doors, total figures aren’t in yet but the previous open day at Melbicks increased sales of BCM products by over 400%.

Exciting and inspirational focal points for both stockists and consumers included FREE entry into the raffle, FREE pewter pins and key fobs (with purchases), FREE customer invitations, FREE posters to advertise the event and of course a photo shoot and press coverage.

The raffle prize was given by us, a huge hamper containing a mouth watering selection of products.

“Our customers really feel the benefits of working with us and this is just one of the many ways in which we add value to the working relationship”, says MD Clive Knowles. The increased uptake of these ‘Store within a Store’ sections in gardens centres continues. Outlets are finding that they are injecting much needed new life and transforming tired looking sections of their centres. Anything that increases sales is good for business and garden centres are not about to turn this down.

Permanent BCMW ‘Store within a Store’ placement for 2007 and 2008 at Woodford Park Garden Centre, means that customers can locate us more easily increasing the sales potential for Woodford Park. With the rise in sales that have been generated through our ‘Store within a Store’ placements for other garden centres we’re confident that rolling these out across even more garden centres will prove a huge boon for the sector.
Ps. Supporting our stockist is a vital part of our commitment to you. If you have news items that you would like us to place in our newsletter then please email them to: sales@blackcountrymetalworks.co.uk