THE MONTH THAT WAS

Registration is now officially open for this year’s London Stationery Show, which is taking place between 16 – 17 May at the Business Design Centre. Hosting a curated collection of industry icons and rising stars, London Stationery Show is the ultimate place to source products for next season - with all the best stationery, arts and crafts, paper product and writing instrument brands on offer, retailers will discover a host of original pieces to build an inspiring product range and attract their buyers.

Visitors to this year’s show will have the opportunity to browse over 150 of the biggest, boldest

ASL has announced the acquisition of Sharples Group. Following the acquisition of B&M Office Machines in 2020, Sharples extends ASL’s reach in the North West and further enhances its service for customers.

Sharples is the sixth acquisition ASL has completed since the investment by Primary Capital Partners in 2019, and continues ASL’s vision to be the largest independent workplace technology solutions provider in the UK.

“We are delighted to welcome Sharples onboard,” said Duncan Forsyth, CEO of ASL. “They have established a fantastic reputation over the past 45 years for providing exceptional customer relationships. Sharples pride themselves on placing their customers’ needs at the front of their trading practices, which aligns with our core values entirely. It’s our mission to be able to provide impartial, independent advice for all business office requirements, and we look forward to working with their well-established service base in the North West and building on its success.” and best brands from across the globe, which will be gathered under one roof to showcase their hero products and latest offerings. Already confirmed for the spring event are Edding, ExaClair, Jakar International, Manuscript Brands, Once Upon A Tuesday, Pentel and many more.

Dealer group Nemo Office Club used its recent Kickstart event to launch a new supplier to the market, FP Tools - specialists in hardware tools and equipment. The new supplier was introduced to members at the networking event in which dealers were introduced to new suppliers and product categories in a well-organised ‘eight-minute speed dating’ fashion.

“It was fantastic to meet with dealers face-toface” explains business development manager, Josh Beaumont. “We have been working with Nemo Office Club for some time now, using their excellent marketing support to produce the tools to help us enter what is a new market for us. We are excited by the partnership, and believe there is an excellent opportunity for members to expand their offering and enter new markets themselves.

Exertis UK has made changes to its senior management structure as part of its ongoing commitment to growth and customer experience. Tim Griffin has taken operational leadership of the Exertis UK business, becoming CEO. In this capacity he will take direct responsibility for the entire Exertis UK retail and B2B operations, and have oversight of other businesses in the UK and Ireland of parent company, DCC Technology.

Tim will lead an ambitious development plan for the business in the UK to drive growth, innovation and market leadership. “The size of the opportunity in the UK, both now and in the future, is a major prize and I’m excited to be taking the CEO role leading the evolution of our UK business as we drive it onwards to ever-greater success,” he says.

Durable are now a certified carbon-neutral company. To achieve this, they partnered up with ClimatePartner to determine the company’s corporate carbon footprint (CCF).

“As a company, we have a great responsibility towards our customers, partners, employees and the environment. This is why we have taken the first key step by calculating our carbon footprint,” explains Durable’s MD Rolf Schifferens.

The footprint that has been calculated is the cornerstone of a fully comprehensive sustainability strategy. “Our goal is to continuously reduce our current carbon footprint. To achieve this, we have drawn up a list of measures that we are addressing as a priority,” says Schifferens.

Corporate carbon neutrality includes both direct emissions, which are produced by the company itself (e.g. generation of electricity and heat, vehicle fleet and fugitive gases), and indirect emissions, which arise as a result of purchased energy, business travel and employees commuting to work. However, other indirect emissions that are produced outside the company in the manufacturing of raw materials and intermediate products, external logistics, the use and disposal of products, or other processes play no role in the calculation of carbon neutrality.

Premier has recently expanded their operations in Glasgow, with a move to larger premises; this follows unprecedented growth and success in recent years, allowing for this exciting expansion of Premier’s Scottish hub. The company’s commitment to continuous improvement and development is demonstrated through ongoing investment in improved service capabilities throughout the UK.

“The opening of our new Glasgow site is a positive move for the company,” commented Mike Banks, Premier’s operations director Midlands and North. “This bigger, better and more accessible facility can hold more stock, enabling us to improve our capabilities with a fast, flexible and efficient service to our customers.”

Based in Coatbridge, Premier’s new site is in excess of 20,000 square feet, hosting a generous warehouse unit with over 1,600 pallet locations and 4,000 square feet of warehouse space for bulk-stacked products. Bigger and better than before, Premier’s new Glasgow site also has a dedicated secure yard, comparatively larger than the previous one. “The branch’s ability to hold increased stock will further support our same and next day service offer,” explains Mike.

“We have 11 people in the team based at the new site, five of whom are working in logistics. The new location is a secure, pleasant and more modern environment to work in, and easily accessible to the road network.”