Builders merchant plans to double workforce after snapping up West Yorkshire site

A Huddersfield builders merchant plans to hire more staff after snapping up a two acre site to transform into a £1.2m store.

JTD Building Supplies has bought a site on New Mill Road in Holmfirth, where it is building an 11,000 sq ft facility to sell goods to trade customers, DIY enthusiasts and construction firms.

Supported by a £765,000 finance package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, the store is set to open in the first quarter of 2018, and will be almost four times the size of the company’s current 22,000 sq ft space, which it leases at Meltham Mills Industrial Estate.

The firm is expecting more custom to come via passing trade in its new location and aims to double its nine-strong workforce within 12 months of moving into the new premises.

JTD Building Supplies has achieved revenue of £2.75m after six years of trading to construction firms and the public. It expects to increase this to more than £3m by the end of the year.

Tony Sharkey, managing director at JTD, said: “Our site at Meltham Mills has served us well since we formed in 2011, but we’ve outgrown the unit and require an outside yard, which the new site will accommodate.

“We’re building a new store to our exact specifications. The new site is located on a main road, which is a more prominent location for us. We expect this to help grow our business further.
“Building a new premises can be a complex process, but the team at Lloyds Bank has always been on hand to provide guidance on how we can manage our cashflow while investing in growth.”

Ben Cutts, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Yorkshire’s regional PMI index is showing some of the quickest rises in job creation seen over the last two years.

“This is partly down to ambitious firms like JTD, who are being proactive in finding ways to expand and grow their businesses.”