A 30-year partnership – NMBS and Toolbank

In a sector where reach, reliability and reputation are critical to success, Toolbank’s 30-year relationship with NMBS continues to deliver tangible commercial returns. As the largest hand and power tool wholesaler in the UK and Ireland, Toolbank stocks more than 36,000 products across 250 brands.

It’s a business built on speed and service, with 98% of orders delivered next day, even though much of the industry settles for two- to three-day lead times.

Yet, even with an efficient operation, seeing growth in the independent merchant sector isn’t guaranteed – unless you have the right partner.

Partnering with NMBS

“We have always worked with independents, but we wanted to see faster growth in this area,” says Adam Crossan, buying group sales manager at Toolbank. “Once we became an NMBS supplier, we had immediate access to a wider base of merchants, without having to deal with the logistics of individual credit checks, reconciliations or account set-ups.”

Toolbank joined NMBS in 1994. For a wholesaler handling thousands of transactions a day, NMBS’s centralised invoicing system and credit guarantee significantly simplified operations.

“It removes friction from the process and saves our finance team a lot of time,” Adam says. “We don’t worry about credit risk for NMBS members. This helps us focus on developing commercial relationships with our independent merchant customers, not chasing paperwork.”

Maximising the marketing

One of the less visible, but highly valuable, aspects of the NMBS relationship is the marketing support that suppliers can tap into. Toolbank takes full advantage of this opportunity by being included in everything NMBS offers, from newsletters and mailouts to event sponsorships and social media opportunities. Adam commented: “We could run campaigns ourselves through our internal marketing team, but the reach NMBS provides across its membership is far greater than what we can achieve.”

“The NMBS team have helped us refine our messaging to match what products and information their members want to see,” Adam explains. “It’s not just promotion, it’s collaboration. That’s how we get the most out of our partnership with NMBS.”

Dean Hayward, head of sales and marketing at NMBS, said: “Toolbank is a supplier that understands the power of partnership. We speak very frequently and this consistent dialogue means we can align on strategy, offer feedback and act quickly to support new initiatives.”

Strengthening customer relationships

Toolbank supports businesses from small high street retailers to multi-regional builders’ merchant groups. Catering to these different types of businesses and cultures demands a lot of time to build meaningful relationships and trust.

“NMBS is a respected name in the industry,” says Adam. “When we engage with a merchant as an NMBS supplier, there’s a level of trust that is already built in, and it helps us get traction faster.”

The relationships are improved further by NMBS events, such as the NMBS Exhibition, Golf Day and Gala Dinner, which Toolbank uses to network and build its brand awareness.

“We don’t just attend these events, we also sponsor them,” explained Adam. “It’s about showing up and being visible. To develop our partnership further with NMBS, we also jointly sponsor events with NMBS at industry awards, like the Builders’ Merchant Awards.”

Toolbank’s model shows how close collaboration can continue to deliver benefits in the long term. “It’s not about doing everything yourself,” Dean added. “It’s about knowing when to work together to drive better outcomes for independent merchants.”

For suppliers looking to expand their independent merchant footprint, Toolbank is a great example of the impact that strategic partnerships can offer for business growth.

Learn more about becoming an NMBS supplier on the NMBS website https://www.nmbs.co.uk/become-a-supplier/.