History
The IBA was formed in mid 1993 in the North West of England by 10 Independent Electrical Wholesalers, 6 of which are still in the Group to-day. By the end of 1999, there were 25 Members, a number that has grown consistently each year with now over 95 Members and with over 135 branches today. Geographically there are Members throughout the UK. Overall, the Group turns over around £140 million.
Group Objectives
- To build a nationwide Group of Independent Electrical Wholesalers, all of whom will have equal rights on input into running the Group.
- To utilise this buying power to appoint key Suppliers in the industry with competitive deals and to build close, long-term profitable relationships with these Preferred Suppliers.
- To significantly increase the profitability of all Group Members by these improved supplier deals and marketing/sales support activity.
- To encourage as much informal networking within the Group as possible in order to optimise the breadth and depth of experience within the membership.
Operating Policy
The Group is run by its Members for its Members, with all key decisions taken on a one-member one-vote basis. Apart from Members annual fees, which are used to fund the management and administration of the Group, 100% of all rebates negotiated with suppliers pass back to the membership. The Group has an annually elected Executive of 6 Directors plus a Commercial Committee representing up to 20% of the Group’s membership. In terms of Supplier relationships, new Members, and general management of the Group, this is overseen by a staff of 4 employees, the Chief Executive Officer, Operations Manager, the Member Services Administrator, and the Finance Administrator, from a head office in Newton-le-Willows, St Helens Merseyside. The aim is to continue to run the Group primarily on a national basis with quarterly meetings held around the UK, where Members are encouraged to attend by having events linked to each of these meetings. Attendance at 2 of these meetings is a stipulated requirement of all Members.
Suppliers to the Group
The Group has over 100 Preferred Suppliers from across the electrical market with a handful of Recognised Suppliers. Annual deals are agreed with these suppliers where invoice prices, annual rebates, payment terms, service levels, carriage paid order levels and marketing support are the key benefits negotiated for the membership. The aim is to develop strong long-term relationships and high levels of business with each supplier and try not to spread the business too thinly. Regular promotional activity, either set for a period or handled on a one-off collated order basis, is a strong feature of the Group and our Suppliers.
Marketing and Sales Support
There are two trade shows and a golf day per year where the Group’s Preferred Suppliers network and promote their business to the membership. These events are linked with the Group’s quarterly meetings.
