Industry
Service
Nicholls and Clarke Ltd is a long-standing name in the UK building materials sector. From its beginnings in 1875 as glass, lead and colour merchants, the business has grown into one of the country’s leading tile distributors and a trusted supplier of a wide range of construction materials. With 150 years of heritage, strong financial foundations, and nationwide coverage, the company has built its reputation on reliability, quality, and a complete one-stop service for customers across the UK.
As the business grew, managing inbound shipments became increasingly time-consuming. Mark Cooper, Purchasing Manager, highlighted several issues that were creating pressure across the team:
- Limited visibility of shipments, leading to constant calls and emails to chase updates
- Difficulty securing paperwork ahead of goods arriving
- Challenges calculating freight for accurate landed costs when using multiple providers
- A fragmented approach that made planning slower and less reliable
These inefficiencies took valuable time away from core buying activity and created inconsistency across depots. The team needed a logistics partner who could offer clarity, control, and a single point of coordination.
Nicholls and Clarke partnered with Denholm Good Logistics to bring freight management, tracking, and documentation into one partner. The move consolidated their operations under one, reliable partner with strong heritage, sector knowledge, and buying power.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Access to the Connect platform for real-time shipment tracking
- Centralised management of freight movements and documentation
- Earlier visibility of paperwork to support accurate landed cost calculations
- One logistics partner providing consistency and clear communication
- Ongoing support from a responsive team whenever needed
This combination of technology and personal service gave Nicholls and Clarke the visibility and reliability they had been missing.
The shift to DGL has made a clear and measurable difference across the business. Depots now rely heavily on Connect, with teams describing it as far easier than previous methods. Time previously spent chasing updates has been reclaimed, helping the purchasing function work more efficiently.
Tangible outcomes include:
- A significant reduction in time spent requesting shipment updates
- Consistent, real-time visibility across all depots using one platform
- More accurate landed cost calculations due to earlier access to documents
- Greater confidence in planning, supported by DGL’s buying power and heritage
- Added value through visibility of CO₂ output for each shipment
Together, these improvements have helped create a smoother, more predictable inbound supply chain.
