A Fife technology start-up is hoping to build on its first year growth after launching a platform which acts as a cross between Amazon and Compare the Market for the construction industry.
Buy Materials opened in Dunfermline in May 2023, and has grown from three members of original staff to 20 in that time.
They offer an online market place for trades businesses to purchase building materials from in a streamlined process.
Trades people can search for the parts and materials they need, and input them in to the website or phone app.
Then, more than 150 venders across the UK are invited to bid for the contracts, leaving the trade clients to pick and choose what they need to their specifications.
Buy Materials grows from Dunfermline
Richard Falconer, head of marketing for the company, explained how founding partner Rob Lovell launched the company after struggling to find materials during the pandemic.
He said: “Buy Materials was founded in May 2023, by Rob Lovell. He was working in construction and had a lot of problems sourcing building materials.
“He realised the whole system is broken, so he came up with a way to fix it.
“The way our platform works, is we have 150 different merchants across the UK. If you want to purchase materials, you come on to the site and pick what you need.
“We then go to our merchants and ask if they want to bid for these contracts.
“Three bids are then sent to the client, and they then choose which quote they want. And these clients can pick and choose form the best prices across our merchant portfolio.
“The merchants then deliver their materials straight to the client.
“So it centralises the bidding process. And building companies can now just come to one place to source what they need. It saves them a lot of time and bother.”
Growth to be built on
Richard added the main goal for the company this year was to continue its expansive growth.
“We have gone from three members of staff to 20 within our first year of trading. And we believe this is a business which could grow to the hundreds of millions in terms of turnover.
“We are rapidly expanding. And our main aim for this next year is to offer full coverage across the UK.
“It’s like a cross between something like Compare the Market, or a price comparison website, and an online marketplace like Amazon.
“There’s nothing like what we offer in the UK, and a lot of our main market currently is the south east of England, but we do work across the country.
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