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R&M Distribution Ltd was formed in 1986 by Robert Mackie and, with 15 years experience working with national wholesalers, Robert decided there was a place in the market for an independent wholesaler, not just to compete against the nationals on price and delivery, but to offer a service that was second-to-none.
Working out of a small warehouse in Forth Avenue Industrial Estate in Kirkcaldy with a staff of 2 full-time and 1 part-time, R&M Distribution Ltd set out with the motto: “Customer Service Is Our First Priority” and that still applies today.
In 1990 the company was growing so fast there was no alternative but to expand and move to larger premises. After spending six months looking for the ideal premises and always coming up blank, Robert decided to open his own property company. The main objective was to build a new home for R&M as well as a number of units that could be leased out for new up-and-coming businesses.
In 1992 R&M moved into its new 17,500 sq.ft. home in Mitchelston Industrial Estate in Kirkcaldy; part of the 1 acre site Robert had developed. Now, with a stock-holding of over £150,000 and with 4 new recruits with over 60 years of experience behind them, R&M was now a major player in the wholesale industry.
In 1999 the company’s customer base had increased to over 500 accounts and now with a staff of 15 and a stock holding of £300,000, it was time for the company to expand once again. The new branch was to be situated in Broxburn.
R&M Electrical Wholesalers Ltd was formed in August 2000 as a sister company of R&M Distribution. Mike McKeon and Bruce Cameron, who had worked with R&M Kirkcaldy for the past 8 years and who have over 20 years of electrical wholesale experience between them, were appointed Directors. They set out from East Mains Industrial Estate in Broxburn, West Lothian, to find a customer base and offer their new clients the same high level of service that was now expected from R&M Companies.
The R&M name was not known in this part of Scotland, but that was about to change. Broxburn was the ideal location. With easy access to Edinburgh and the West of Scotland, this was the perfect opportunity for R&M to stamp its mark on the area. In the first 2 years sales flew through the 1 million barrier and with sales of 2 million annually after 7 years, it has proved that the R&M method is very successful.
In 2000, Robert added a new dimension to R&M, by appointing Neil Duff as Operations Director at the Kirkcaldy branch. This appointment brought an experienced degree-qualified electrical engineering manager to the company which would prove invaluable in the coming years. Never before could a customer pick up the phone and ask an electrical wholesaler for advice or on-site assistance regarding single phase/three phase and high voltage installations. They could now.
With Neil’s inclusion to the company it became apparent that there were substantial ongoing requirements for Transformers, Generators, Invertors, Control Gear, etc., so Robert decided to add a Motor and Control Gear division to the company. Accordingly, John Forsyth, one of Scotland’s leading motor specialists was recruited to the Kirkcaldy team in 2005 for his expertise and knowledge of the industrial sector.
In 2006, after a chance meeting with Gordon Kain, a freelance Lighting Consultant, a special relationship was formed. R&M had covered most parts of the electrical industry with their own in-house knowledge but had to rely on manufacturers for Lighting Designs and Technical Advice; this was all about to change. After spending 20 years fighting for orders for batten fittings, lay-in modular fittings, etc., and seeing profit margins being eroded, R&M was introduced to a wider spectrum of lighting.
Companies such as Tal, Kreon, Vektron and CK were practically unknown to the standard wholesaler. With Gordon’s knowledge and R&M’s customer base, a new formidable relationship had begun. R&M have since supplied some major and prestigious companies and the lighting division certainly has a bright future.
R&M Distribution was appointed as Distributor for the Schneider Group range of Telemecanique industrial control gear and the Weidmuller range of products in 2006.
In 2007, Ewan Durie and Gavin Carlisle, specialists in Control Gear, with over 30 years of experience between them have now joined the R&M Broxburn team.
Initially, Ewan will cover the whole of Scotland and the North of England, while Gavin offers in-house technical assistance. R&M have already invested over £50,000 in stock on Control Gear materials and there are ongoing plans for further investment in the near future.
In 2007, with the addition of both the Lighting and Control Gear divisions it was becoming possible for Broxburn branch to cover West Lothian, Edinburgh and the West of Scotland, so it was time to branch out again.
In 2008, Con Rogan who had managed CEF and Edmundson branches for 25 years was appointed a Director in the new sister company R&M Electrical Supplies Ltd based in West Telferton Industrial Estate, Edinburgh.
For the last 18 months, Con had been a Sales Rep for R&M Broxburn covering the Edinburgh area.Con opened the new branch in Jan 2008 taking with him a wide range of customers
To date, R&M as an independent wholesaler offers from stock a larger and wider range of electrical materials for Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Sectors than our competitors. R&M also offer Lighting Solutions, Designs, Commissioning and Technical Support for all types of installations and, with a customer base that is second to none, an accumulative stock holding of over £500,000, an annual turnover of almost £7 million and with more than 20 years of electrical experience, R&M has never before been more committed to the industry and has ongoing plans for further growth in the very near future.
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