Ken's Yard, new nationwide building supplies site, goes live

08 Feb 2010

Ken's Yard, a new nationwide building supplies website selling over 30,000 well known branded products on-line has now gone live.

Behind Ken's Yard are three experienced and respected traders in timber and building products, Charles McLeish, Joe McConville - previous owners of MGM Timber, and Ken McLelland - former Regional Director of Buildbase (see notes to editors). The board has been strengthened further by the addition of Charles Shaw, Chairman of the hugely successful 5pm.co.uk and former Chief Executive of Invergordon Distillers plc and Andrew Sutherland former UK Financial Controller and Company Secretary of Keyline Builders Merchants.

Aimed at the 'serial' project builder, self-builder and small building contractor in the UK and beyond, Ken's Yard now provides the most comprehensive and competitive range of building supplies currently available on-line. These are supported by easily accessible advice from some of the supply industry's most experienced, knowledgeable and professional experts.

Ken's Yard is now part of the vanguard of suppliers changing the way building supplies are purchased and brings several 'firsts' to the market:

- Ken's Yard currently sells 30,000 products which will rise to an estimated 45,000 in Phase 2.
- Ken's Yard sells the full HOPPE door furniture range from Germany, one of only a few suppliers to do so, and is the first to sell the complete Carron Phoenix range of kitchen sinks, taps and accessories. It also supplies the complete range of Kahrs hardwood flooring products. Other well-known brand names are already in the pipeline and will be added in Phase 2. This includes the full JELD-WEN joinery products catalogue and the full Velux catalogue.

A unique building estimates service for extensions, refurbishments and new-build projects. This provides a massive timesaving for building professionals and enables them to get jobs costed quickly and accurately. This will initially be offered free as a launch 'special' to customers who spend £500 or more.
- Ken's Yard is the only UK based website where customers can upload a drawing, or enter measurements to obtain a quote. Ken's Yard handles the entire ordering process and items like roof trusses will be delivered direct to site within 14 days.

Ken McLelland said, "Ken's Yard enables building professionals to reduce procurement costs by taking full advantage of the reach and power of the internet without compromising quality or choice of products. When we looked closely at the e-commerce operators in the repairs, maintenance and improvements market (RMI) the gap we saw was to combine the credibility associated with a specialist site with the wider appeal of the generalist site. We have positioned Ken's Yard to appeal to the professional who now sees the benefits of e-commerce while being accessible to the competent project builder who is quite comfortable researching and sourcing on-line.

"We understand what the building professional needs and are already receiving very positive feedback about Ken's Yard's straightforward and refreshing approach to doing business."

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Notes to Editors

About Kens Yard:
Ken's Yard is an independent on-line building products company founded after extensive research by an experienced team who care about service. Not just another small products outlet, Ken's Yard offers a range of building products not found elsewhere. Costs have been kept low, to enable the company to be consistently competitive to its market of Professional, Project-Builder and Self-Build customers.

Ken's Yard has teamed up with a number of the industry's best-known manufacturers of high quality brands and suppliers of professional products. Using the latest e-commerce technology it is able to provide a genuine alternative to more traditional and less efficient methods of purchasing construction products.