Alltrade has its three decades of successful business and growth distributing CI, smart home, aerial, satellite, and IRS products to the trade.
The company started in 1989 by leasing a small shop in Hove on the south east coast of the UK, and since then, the brand has grown to encompass six fully stocked trade counter warehouses across the south along with a website and a comprehensive and award-winning free training calendar for its customers.
Kicking off the 30th anniversary celebrations this month, Alltrade have a discount scheme running on all products, tiered to offer the longest standing customers 10 per cent off their entire order, and an open day at all Trade Counters offering refreshments and bacon rolls to visiting customers.
“Like any successful business with three decades of trading behind it, Alltrade has continued to evolve and adapt to the market,” says Steve Simper, Alltrade’s MD. “From originally supplying aerial and satellite hardware from a single shop-front unit, we grew through Sky and later Sky Digital, terrestrial TV switchover and adapted to encompass commercial IRS and fibre distribution. The CI market presented a huge opportunity for the business and we now stock a comprehensive portfolio of AV, HVAC and security products, backed up by our free planning and specifying service, over-the-counter or next-day delivery and a broad range of training programmes.”
Over the last 30 years, the company has experienced some significant landmarks including beginning a next day delivery service in 1998, introducing its widely regarded catalogue in 2002, and relocating its HQ to a 15,000 sqft unit in Brighton & Hove in 2004. All situated in the south of the UK, the company also opened a branch in Cardiff in 2001, Dartford (now Maidstone) in 2003, Watford (now located in Hemel Hempstead) in 2004, Bournemouth in 2015, and Reading in 2018. In 2009, the Alltrade Trade Show was born and remains to be an annual must-visit event for integrators.
To top the celebrations, just days before its 30th birthday, Alltrade won the prestigious smart Building Award for Best Training, after training became a key element in developing the business through developing customers when the CI and smart home portfolio was launched.
“It is an exciting time across CI, IRS and the growth of the smart home,” adds Simper, “and these sectors will drive our growth over the next decade. Now we have top-tier brands like ELAN on board, with several others soon to be announced, we can offer a full portfolio of products to complete almost all residential or commercial installation projects. Back that up with local trade counters, free training, free planning, free delivery and free technical support, and we believe the future is even brighter.”