Glass wholesaler feature in the latest bondholders case study after launching a new eCommerce site

1111111111History of Jars and Bottles

Jars and Bottles is a wholesaler and supplier of glass jars and bottles and was first established 10 years ago as Pattesons Pickles. The company began selling a selection of chutneys but when one of their suppliers went into liquidation, Pattesons saw a gap in the market and began selling pallets of jars to other small suppliers, as well as using them for their own chutney products.

Managing Director, David Mann said; “as time progressed we realised there was more money to be made in jars and bottles so we sold the Pattesons Chutney business 3 years ago. We are now suppliers of glass jars, glass bottles and decanters across the world and to some of the UK’s main manufacturers within the food and drink sector”.

The early day of the glass wholesaler

In the early days, Managing Director David Mann and Operations Director Mark Schofield were based in an office above a shop, working from a shared desk. With just a few short years, jars and bottles had a warehouse in Wootton, an accounts office based in Elsham and a sales team in Laceby.

In 2011, all these services came under one roof when the 40,000 sq. ft. site on the South Humberside Industrial Estate in Grimsby was purchased. The new site benefits from great connectivity, resulting in a very short commute for 90% of the workforce. The site is located 2 minutes from the motorway network and perfectly positioned for distribution, with many shipping containers going out of the Immingham port. The site houses 2,500 pallets of glass and is aptly named Atlas House as their Atlas jar is one of their bestsellers; with 24m sold in its first year in 2009.

Pattesons Glass export to Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, North America, New Zealand, Barbados and Morocco, after starting international trade in Malaysia subsequently UKTI arranged trade missions to Iceland and Denmark. With many companies within these countries using the glass jars and bottles for oil and coconut based products. After attending a food show in Copenhagen in March 2015, Jars and Bottles acquired a wholesale business the following September in Olgod, southern Denmark, making Denmark their most profitable export market. This was a strategic move, enabling J&B to export more easily and gives them the possibility to expand into Germany, Norway and Belgium, reducing travel distance in some cases to just under 3 hours.

Stock holding

Aside from being a prime example of export success, Jars and Bottles is a perfect exemplar of a company that puts their customers first. Operations Director, Mark Schofield said; “businesses don’t like to hold stock, they want the jars, closures, corks and caps to suit and delivered within one, and we can provide that. We provide a ‘one-stop’ shop service for our customers, we bend over backwards, we send our top 50 customers quarterly forecasting sheets which enables us to always deliver stock within a speedy timeframe. Satisfied customers become loyal customers”.  Jars and Bottles’ clients include; AarhusKarlshamn -  operating as AAK, a Swedish-Danish company and producer of edible oils and fats to some of the largest food manufacturers around the world; Lakeland the UK’s leading chain of retail kitchenware stores; Marks and Spencer; Sainsbury’s and Fortnum & Mason.

Expansion for glass wholesaler

The glass wholesaler have recently invested £300,000 in an office expansion, receiving a £90,000 grant from the Humber LEP for further site expansion which has included a new sales office, expansion to the warehouse packing area, a new mezzanine floor doubling the size of the office space and a new outdoor terrace area for employees and clients to enjoy. This investment has enabled Pattesons Glass to grow its workforce and hold more stock.

They have also recently updated their ecommerce website and invested heavily within this. This brand new B2C website will allow the glass wholesaler' ever-increasing consumer base to browse and buy a huge range of products online. With the help of 'Energy Cell', J&B has designed a friendly consumer-oriented site, easily navigable and perfect for those wanting to order up to 500 pieces or more. The new website is more than just a shopping cart; offering free spec. downloads, special offers, smoother account set-up and check-out process and expert blogging advice.

J&B is keen to invest in the local talent. As an organisation they founded and annually sponsor a competition for Grimsby Institute’s media department students to design a glass jar or bottle. The winner, judged by Managing Director David Mann and four CEO’s or Buying Directors from the company’s top customer portfolio, has their design turned into a Perspex mould and then launched into the marketplace, and subsequently receives a cash profit percentage sum from the sales. J&B also annually sponsor the world’s original Marmalade Awards, the ‘jampionships’ of fruit preserve awards.

The future

Jars and bottles anticipates continued growth and further investment, particularly in the warehousing areas, and will be pursuing other export markets. They are currently the second largest wholesaler and supplier of glass jars and bottles in the UK. Within the next few years, it’s highly likely that they will become one of the leading names in the UK, if not in Europe, as well as the largest and most profitable in their sector.

Till Next Time Jars and Bottles