Merchant Exchange
A Somerset-based merchant has become the first business to complete NMBS’ newer pathway from affiliate to full membership, moving through the process in just 14 months.
Nu Independent Wholesalers, based in Minehead and specialising in plumbing, heating, electrical and bathroom products, joined NMBS as an affiliate in 2024 before progressing to full membership shortly after.
Dean Hayward, head of sales and marketing at NMBS, said the affiliate-to-full-member pathway was introduced that same year to support merchants across the builders’, timber, roofing, hardware, plumbing, heating, plastics, engineering and industrial sectors, regardless of size or maturity. He said the route was particularly well suited to start-ups and businesses earlier in their growth journey, as the eligibility criteria sit below those required for full membership.
Hayward added that the pathway gives a broader range of merchants access to NMBS’s services, including invoice rebates and preferential terms with more than 500 leading building industry suppliers, effectively using the affiliate route as a springboard to further growth.
Nu Independent was founded in 2019 by gas engineer James Cox, who identified a gap in the market after noticing the nearest merchant was 26 miles away. The business set out to give trade professionals and DIY customers a more local alternative. It initially focused on plumbing, heating and electrical products in line with Cox’s own trade background, before broadening into a wider range of building-related products.
Membership has coincided with a period of strong growth for the business, including a move to larger premises and the launch of a dedicated bathroom showroom with a focus on accessible living, reflecting the area’s older demographic.
Cox said NMBS affiliation had made clear commercial sense for the business, giving it faster access to support, expertise, events and a wider supplier base on better terms than it could have secured independently. He said the affiliation had helped the business beat its own growth targets by at least two years, and said he would recommend the route to other new or growing merchants.
