ONE of the longest-standing business supplies companies in the North East is on target to double its turnover in the next three years.
Killingworth-based NBT Group is being taken into a new era by the founder’s great grandson Toby Bridges.
Established over a century ago, NBT’s product range extends from adhesives to office supplies.
It has created three new company brands to allow clearer room for growth. ‘Think’ is its industrial tapes and adhesives business, ‘Definitive’ provides packaging and ‘Sidekick’ supplies office products to the local SME community.
Managing director Bridges said: “Our current turnover is sitting at £2.5m and we’re on course to grow that to £5m by 2015.
“We bought out an office supply company in Newcastle recently and that’s the first time that we’ve acquired anything in our 104 years of being in operation.
“We’ve just hired our 19th member of staff, having hired six people in the last year or so.
“We’ve been experiencing natural, organic growth but I’d like to think it had something to do with me taking the reins of the business three years ago from my father! I took over just as the recession kicked in and the business went through a lot of restructuring to get it on a better footing.
“Over the years we’ve grown the ability to develop significant know- how in the supply chain and we felt it was time to clarify the areas of our business with a new family of brands.”
Sidekick is the newest area of the business, and its fast growth is due, in part, to the successful acquisition strategy; something the company is keen to continue.
Established in 1908 in Newcastle, the NBT Group started out selling tram parts in Newcastle.
The company has always had a strong commitment to its community by providing local primary schools with space in which to study, and sponsoring local arts and sports clubs, such as the Newcastle Falcons rugby team. Bridges added: “One of the main secrets to our success has been that we are an intimate family business with a focus on product knowledge and have held our strong links with the local community over the years.
“We also know having the right packaging is the strongest link in a product cycle therefore it is all about ensuring our customers get their products out of the door on time.”
