Calder Trade Supplies Ltd was formed in March 1987 by Michael Balmforth and Philip Netherwood who saw an opportunity to set themselves up in partnership in the ironmongery trade and now are celebrating their 20th year in business.

Their first premises were at the Boulevard in Halifax town centre. But the business quickly outgrew the building and two years later it was relocated to its present site, the Halifax Industrial Centre, Pellon Lane, which is now where the head office is located. Calder Trade Supplies’ main function is the supply of hand and power tools, adhesives, abrasives, sealants, fixings, builders’ hardware and architectural ironmongery to the joinery and building trades.

Over the past 20 years Calder Trade Supplies has established a large and diverse customer base in excess of 2,000 account and cash customers throughout West and South Yorkshire, ranging from national house builders, period restoration companies and large joinery manufacturers to small family-run building and joinery firms and sole traders. Door and window manufacturers, housing associations, shop fitters, local authorities, schools, colleges and building maintenance companies provide the mainstay of Calder Trade Supplies clients as well as an ever increasing retail market.

Calder Trade Supplies developed its own website (www.caldertrade.co.uk) in 1995 and deliver goods all over the UK and worldwide to destinations which include Europe, Scandinavia, Saudi Arabia and the USA. All orders are despatched on a daily basis using a next day carrier service.

Calder Trade Supplies has 24 full-time employees with many of the frontline staff being involved in the ironmongery trade since leaving school and in that time they have collectively gained a vast amount of product and customer knowledge. However great emphasis is still placed upon product training, all of which is
funded by the company, with employees undertaking the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers’ three-year education programme which if successful in Year 3 leads to the award of “The Guild Diploma.”

Calder Trade Supplies also strives to work very closely with manufacturers and major suppliers with frequent in-house product training seminars for all staff. Since 1993 Calder Trade Supplies has been fully computerised with up to the minute “live” stock analysis and a fully automated sales and purchase ledger system. The system has recently undergone a major upgrade with staff having access to the latest e-mail and Internet
technology. A new hi-tech phone system has been installed with extra phone lines to deal with the ever
increasing volume of sales calls.

Calder Trade Supplies in Halifax has 17 full-time employees, including two experienced external sales representatives covering Halifax, the Calder Valley, Ryburn Valley, Bradford, Keighley, Skipton, Dewsbury, Batley, Huddersfield and East Lancashire. Two full-time delivery drivers work out of the Halifax branch and Calder Trade Supplies offers a FREE local next day delivery service.

An additional branch was opened in Leeds in September 1999, which employs seven full-time staff, including three experienced external sales representatives. This branch successfully services the centre of Leeds and all the surrounding areas including Castleford, Wakefield, Pontefract and Harrogate. South Yorkshire, including Rotherham, Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley, is also covered by the external sales force and again a FREE next day delivery policy is adopted using its own transport.

Sales representatives from both branches are available for site visits, product demonstrations and
regular customer visits. Calder Trade Supplies carries about 10,000 stock lines ranging from consumables like silicones, expanding foams and woodscrews to professional site compound mitre saws and 36 volt cordless hammer drills. A key cutting department has also recently been added to Calder Trade Supplies’ branch at Halifax, adding an extra dimension to its already excellent service.

With more than 200 suppliers, considerable buying power, 10,000 sq ft of recently expanded warehouse space and recently refurbished showroom and counter facilities Calder Trade Supplies Ltd prides itself on having product on the shelf when the customer needs it and has invested heavily in stock so customer requirements
are fulfilled time and again.

Many big name trade brands are stocked in depth including DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee and Paslode, Carlisle Brass, Hoppe, Kirkpatrick, Sia Abrasives and Everbuild adhesives and sealants. Prices are regularly checked to offer customers the best value
for money.

With the recent boom in mill and factory conversions for apartments and flats along with new build and general property refurbishment Calder Trade Supplies has set up a dedicated ironmongery contracts division to deal with all customer ironmongery scheduling and quotation requirements with the added option of on-site visits by a member of the contracts team and manufacturer’s representative if required.

Calder Trade Supplies prides itself on working closely with customers and architects alike to ensure that the correct products are specified, supplied and conform to the new DDA standards and fire regulations.

The company offers regular monthly mega deals and quarterly promotions to customers as well as staging power tool open days at the head office in Halifax in conjunction with major power tool suppliers including
De Walt, Makita, Bosch and Paslode. Calder Trade Supplies is also a regular exhibitor at the North of England Woodworking Show in Harrogate.