The National Buying Group (NBG) chose the Carden Park Hotel, nr. Chester as the venue for their 2007 Annual Conference on 3rd December. With a conference theme of “The supply chain and deal compliance”, NBG Executive Chairman Allan Durning stressed that members recognise the importance to suppliers that independent groups show full compliance to deals.
“The relationship between the NBG and its suppliers is vital to the development of the group. The NBG intend to increase their current turnover of circa £750 million to £1 billion by 2012, which will require total deal compliance and partnership in all of their spend,” he stated.
The black-tie event was a move from previous year’s more informal dress, and demonstrated the group’s message to the marketplace that the NBG are moving onto a different footing, and through selective membership enlargement of the group, intend to pursue their objectives.
James Norton of Frank Key Builders Merchants, Nottingham, gave the Supply Chain address to 260 delegates, extolling confidence in the supply chain and our future expectation going forward as a group and recognising that it has to be a “win, win” situation for both sides.
The two day event also saw the first time that national, rather than regional, awards were presented. Bradstone took the coveted Supplier of the Year, with Hanson and Toolbank receiving Heavyside and Lightside Suppliers of the Year respectively, and Severn Timber the Timber Based Products of the Year.
Bostick Ltd won the Marketing Initiative Award, and Lafarge Cement the Environmental Award. All the awards were presented by Christine Beaver of Shropshire Building Supplies and Gary Oliver of Palladium.
A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Colin Harrison, the outgoing MD of Collier & Catchpole, Suffolk, by NBG’s Southern Regional Chairman Grev Coomer, and all of the membership wished Colin a successful retirement and best wishes with his golf club venture.
The conference was not only a congratulatory affair. “A superb fund-raiser was organised by Trevor Jenkins (MD, Homeleigh Timber) and Dawn Sagoo (MD, Wheeler’s Timber),” said Allan Durning, “and their sterling efforts raised £8,000 plus for Ronald McDonald House, a charity for the families of children in hospital.”
A light-hearted and comical view was given by Steve Beal, MD, JF Beal into the membership and the suppliers in overall terms and was well received and supported by an impromptu guest appearance on stage by Mike Lippett, Associate Sales Director (merchants) from Baggeridge, who told his renowned and much loved repartee of an Australian radio programme conversation…
Day two saw the suppliers invited to a “meet the merchants” relationship-building session. Allan Durning was delighted at the results. “We’d like to thank all of the conference team, the members and most importantly all of the suppliers for their solid support, at our annual conference” he declared.
Here are some images from the event for you to enjoy:
