About Us
Keeping it personal for more than 75 years.
Our company's roots go all the way back to 1936, when Thomas
Graham established his merchant business to serve Glasgow's
building trade. Today we are a plumbers' merchant with branches
throughout the UK, but our focus remains on delivering the best
possible service at a local level.
Our strengths lie in the local knowledge of our people, the
relationships they have with our customers and the innovative
structuring of our operation, which creates 'families' of branches
focused on meeting the different needs of installers in different
parts of the country.
We believe that this approach enables us to deliver the best of
both worlds: the stability and buying power that comes with being
part of the Saint Gobain Building Distribution Group, and the
flexibility and responsiveness made possible by local
empowerment.
Where we've come from.
Thomas Graham & Sons was acquired by Thomas Tilling Limited
in 1959 and became part of a group that was to continue to grow
through acquisition throughout the 60's and 70's. While the group
expanded across Britain, much of the original companies' identities
were retained and the regions operated with considerable
autonomy.
In 1983, Tilling was taken over by BTR, a move that saw a more
centralized approach to management. More branches were added to the
group through acquisition, including that of the builders' merchant
division of Raab Karcher, and by 1989 the company was employing
some 4,400 people.
In 1994 BTR decided Graham should float as an independant
company. The following year Graham expanded its presence in the
South East and strengthened its product mix with the acquisition of
Erith Building Supplies.
The next significant development took place in 1999 when Jewson
owner Meyer International, having recently acquired Harcros Timber
and Building Supplies, added Graham to its stable. Linking with
Jewson came next and soon Graham were the country's most popular
suppliers of plumbing, heating and sanitaryware products.
International strength, regional teams, specialist
expertise.
Today Graham is part of the Saint-Gobain Building Distribution
Group, Eurpoe's number one building materials distributor. The
group's UK arm, Saint-Gobain Building Distribution UK, has a
network of over 3,300 sites and employs around 13,000 people.