A long-established, family-run builders’ merchant in London turned to Moorgate Management to help bring structure and stability to its fast-growing operation. Through a staged programme focused on leadership development, financial discipline and operational control, Moorgate transformed the business into a professionally managed organisation with scalable systems and a clear roadmap for growth.
When a family-run builders’ merchant in London approached Moorgate Management, it had reached a crossroads familiar to many independent merchants. The business had expanded rapidly during its 20-year lifetime, adding new branches, an e-commerce platform and a growing customer base – but its growth had outpaced the initial business structure.
The owners recognised that while turnover was rising, profitability was inconsistent, and day-to-day management relied heavily on a small group of long-serving staff. They wanted to build a stronger, more professional foundation to support future growth and make the business more resilient in the face of an increasingly challenging market.
Moorgate was appointed to deliver a staged transformation programme, focusing first on stabilising operations and clarifying leadership roles, then on building scalable systems to enable controlled, profitable expansion.
Stage 1: Establishing the Foundations
Moorgate began with an intensive discovery and diagnostic phase, mapping every aspect of the merchant’s structure and performance.
The initial review highlighted several recurring challenges common in fast-growing independent businesses. Reporting systems were fragmented. Senior staff were doubling up on responsibilities. Pricing and purchasing decisions were inconsistent across branches. The e-commerce site was underperforming due to an incomplete integration with the merchant’s ERP system.
Chris Maityard, Founder of Moorgate Management, explains: “They were ambitious, hard-working and had a real entrepreneurial energy – but that energy needed a solid structure. My role was to create clarity: who does what, how decisions are made, and how they could measure success.”
The Stage 1 plan, covering Management, Growth Drivers, Operations and Financials, involved the Moorgate team working alongside the owners and their team to introduce structure, accountability and a clear cadence of meetings and reporting that would help keep growth and development on track.
- Leadership and Communication: Moorgate worked with the owners and introduced weekly senior management meetings, formalised one-to-one sessions with each team lead, and created detailed role definitions for every department. Reporting lines were clarified, KPIs established and mentoring sessions began to develop each manager’s confidence and decision-making.
- Sales and Growth: Customer data showed that sales performance varied widely across teams, and that a significant proportion of the merchant’s accounts were inactive. Moorgate helped segment its existing customers by type and profitability, introducing low-spend reactivation campaigns and setting clear sales targets linked to measurable KPIs. The sales structure was reviewed to distinguish between internal, external and e-commerce responsibilities, ensuring each had defined objectives that could be monitored and adjusted easily.
- Operations: Health and safety, warehouse processes and transport were reviewed from the ground up. Moorgate supported the appointment of a dedicated H&S lead, introduced daily yard walks and warehouse zoning, and began mapping bin locations to improve stock accuracy. Procurement roles were clarified and linked to measurable purchasing and rebate objectives.
- Finance: One of the biggest issues for the merchant lay in its financial visibility. Moorgate helped the business establish a 13-week cashflow forecast, implement management reporting and develop a rolling P&L forecast. Recruitment of a qualified finance manager was planned to bring greater commercial insight and discipline to the department.
By the end of Stage 1, the business had its first structured Monthly Board Pack – giving owners and senior managers a clear view for the first time of branch performance, margins, overheads and progress against targets that could be tracked going forward.
Stage 2: Building Scalable Systems
Having stabilised the operation, Moorgate moved into Stage 2, delivering on-site support and targeted development across every department as the business needed.
This phase also focused on embedding a professional management culture and building the systems and processes needed to ensure long-term scalability.
Leadership Development:
Working with the owners, the management team was restructured to include new roles: Head of Sales, Head of Purchasing, Head of IT and a Data Analyst. Salary banding was introduced across warehouse, transport and sales to provide fairness and transparency, with incentive schemes under development.
Chris personally mentored each manager, holding weekly one-to-one sessions focused on sales, operations, HR and finance. Formal KPIs were set for every department head, covering both quantitative results and behavioural development.
A follow-up evaluation rated the team’s performance and potential, identifying those ready for promotion and those needing additional coaching or role adjustment.
Sales and Marketing Alignment:
Weekly sales meetings were established across all branches and channels, driving accountability for results. Internal sales, trade counter and e-commerce performance were now reviewed side by side.
Marketing was overhauled, with both digital and print campaigns developed to unify the brand across locations. Branch-specific promotions and online advertising through Google and Facebook began to deliver measurable results, with KPIs tracking spend, conversions and ROI.
E-commerce was another major area of transformation. Moorgate oversaw the completion of a new platform that offered a bespoke API link to the company’s ERP system, enabling live stock visibility, automated order tracking and improved lead generation.
By the end of Phase 2, the online store offered more than 5,000 active products for purchase, supported by weekly campaign reviews to monitor revenue growth and cost efficiency.
Operational Improvements:
Warehouse and transport operations were also professionalised. Daily stock accuracy checks and damage reporting were introduced, along with formal vehicle utilisation analysis to ensure deliveries remained efficient and profitable.
Recruitment of a dedicated transport manager and warehouse manager created clear accountability. Training programmes for forklift, Class 2 and Moffett licences were introduced to upskill staff and reduce reliance on external drivers.
Health and Safety culture was a major focus, shifting from reactive compliance to proactive management. Incident reporting systems were introduced, and staff undertook IOSH training to establish a clear understanding of ‘what good looks like’.
Procurement processes were centralised, with category management and minimum/maximum stock levels implemented.
Financial Reporting and Control:
On the financial side, Moorgate worked closely with the merchant’s finance team to reconcile management accounts, review gross margin reporting, and establish variance analysis processes.
A structured Monthly Board Pack was created, incorporating branch P&Ls, cost reports, and KPIs by function. This not only improved visibility but gave managers ownership of their numbers for the first time.
Budgeting discipline was introduced, with Moorgate guiding the team through preparation of a detailed forecast and departmental budgets.
ERP system issues were also addressed. Moorgate helped the business review the implementation of its current system, identify gaps, and plan a time-lined IT project to optimise functionality and integration working together with the merchants existing ERP provider to effect the change needed to deliver the desired outcome.
Cultural Change
While systems and reports were vital, the most significant shift for the merchant was a cultural one. The business moved from a reactive, owner-led operation to a structured, accountable organisation.
“Every improvement we made was owned by the team,” says Chris. “We didn’t drop in a report and walk away. We worked alongside them – mentoring, training, building confidence. The goal was to leave behind a management team capable of running a professional, scalable business for many years to come.”
By introducing open-plan offices to improve communication, structured weekly meetings, and a data-driven approach to decision-making, Moorgate helped transform the merchant into a cohesive, forward-looking organisation.
Results and Legacy
By the conclusion of Stage 2, the merchant had achieved measurable improvements across the board:
- Sales growth: up 32% year-on-year.
- Margin improvement: clearer visibility and minimum-margin controls established.
- Operational control: structured warehouse and transport systems with daily KPIs.
- Financial discipline: live cashflow forecasting and management accounts.
- Leadership stability: defined roles, KPIs, and regular mentoring.
With these foundations in place, the owners approved a Stage 3 plan focused on accelerating growth – opening new branches, expanding e-commerce into vertical niches, and exploring direct-to-site logistics models.
As Chris summarises: “The first job was to get the business under control. The second was to give it structure and confidence. Now they’re in a position to grow again – not by chance, but by design.”
Moorgate Management’s success in this project reflects the combination of strategic, financial and operational expertise that underpins its consultancy model. Founder Chris Maityard brings decades of hands-on merchanting experience, having managed national distribution networks and co-founded the creation of the original Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG). His strong background in merchanting, alongside his financial acumen, allows him to bridge the gap between board-level strategy and everyday merchant reality.
“Our work is always tailored,” he explains, listening and working alongside the owners and their teams day to day. “We don’t hand over a glossy report – we roll up our sleeves. Whether it’s exit planning, turnaround or growth, the aim is to make the business stronger, more valuable and more resilient.”
For this London-based independent merchant, Moorgate’s staged approach turned ambition into structure. What began as an operational review became a complete transformation – building a management team, embedding financial discipline and establishing scalable systems for sustainable growth. The project encapsulates Moorgate’s broader mission: helping independent merchants to evolve from hard-working, personality-led businesses into professionally managed, profitable companies capable of long-term success and confident growth regardless of market challenges while retaining the owner’s values, personality and legacy.
If you’d like to know more about how technology can help your business, contact Moorgate Management’s CEO Chris Maityard on cmaityard@moorgatemanagement.com or 07767 291 379 for more information.