44APPOINTMENTS & COMPANY NEWSWWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF AUGUST 2019
I
t all started thanks to a £500
loan between father and son.
A wide-eyed Frederick Henry Brundle
arrived in London with a dream of making it
big and opened premises at 14 Paper Street
EC1 - the centre of the Packing Case Trade.
Spotting a gap in the market by selling
nails and ironmongery, his attention to detail,
careful product selection and quality made
him stand out and his name quickly spread
across the capital.
130 years on, those hallmarks remain at
the heart of leading wholesale supplier
F.H. Brundle.
Proud of its history and forward-thinking
in its approach, the company has been
successfully led by five generations of the
Brundle family - Frederick, Frank, Henry,
Richard and Michael.
But it has not always been easy.
F.H. Brundle had to overcome the Blitz which
destroyed their headquarters in Paper Street,
resulting in a subsequent move to Hackney
in 1940.
The move to Hackney was supposed to be
a temporary one, until suitable alternative
accommodation could be found.
But just over 50 years later, in 1998, the
company moved from its Hackney premises
to Stratford, into a refurbished warehouse
and offices, only to be compulsory purchased
after it was announced London was to host
the 2012 Olympics.
F.H. Brundle then moved its headquarters
in the spring of 2007 to its present location
in Rainham, Essex.
Under the guidance of Richard, Frederick’s
son, a further five new branches were opened
as Richard quickly recognised and spotted
opportunities within the industry.
That trait of careful product selection
resulted in the addition of welded wire mesh,
perforated metal and wrought iron
components to name a few – making
F.H. Brundle one of the largest independent
steel stockists in the UK.
Today, the name F.H. Brundle is
synonymous with the same values, quality
and competitive prices first established way
back in 1889 with the tradition of a proud
family history at its core.
But as Michael Brundle, managing
director and fifth generation of the family
business readily admits, it is the company’sforward-thinking, agile and flexible approach
that has ensured it has grown and thrived.
Mr Brundle said: “We are incredibly proud to
celebrate 130 years in business.
“We have always looked to innovate and
evolve our product range, while maintaining
a loyal customer base and sustained growth
by choosing products at the right price and
offering excellent service levels.
“We also continually search the world for
product opportunities to bring into the UK.
This approach has seen the addition of
Pro-Railing, our stainless steel handrail
component system, and Marano, a stunning
range of anodised aluminium fencing and
railing systems that are long lasting, low
maintenance and lightweight.”
Spotting an opportunity and supporting it
with investment has always been key to
delivering growth, and in 1998 the company’s
first website was launched, followed by an
ecommerce site in 2010.
This allowed customers to order 24/7 for
delivery on one of the company’s 60 strong
fleet of vehicles that utilise software
technology to optimise the best routes, or
trade counter collection.
A design office was opened in 2012 tosupport the design and development of new
systems and products. With the latest
advancements in 3D printing, the company in
now able to produce prototypes and reduce
its time to market for the likes of its
Sleeve-Fit Brackets used with glass clamps,
which deal with slopes, curves and stairs and
can be built without drilling the stainless
steel posts.
Most recently introduced is
Liveconfigurator, real time design software
that helps customers design handrail and
balustrades using Pro-Railing products.
A major investment landmark in 2016 was
the opening its new distribution centre in
Burton-On-Trent, which increased the
company’s overall warehousing capacity to
500,000 sq ft – the equivalent size of almost
10 football pitches.
Mr Brundle said: “There are not many
businesses who survive and adapt over 130
years and a huge thank you goes out to our
amazing customers and my incredible team.
“We will continue to work as hard as
possible to ensure F.H. Brundle remains at the
forefront of the industry.”01708 25 35 45 http://www.fhbrundle.co.ukForward-thinking F.H. Brundle celebrates
130 years in business