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Visit by Brian Hall, Editor
It wasn’t just Paul’s experience that helped make the shop a success, the building now known has Romford Tools was previously a toolshop called Dunball’s of Romford, that occupied the site for ninety years, until that company stopped trading in ‘93.
The premises had been empty for two years, so for the locals were glad to see it occupied by another tool firm with someone with a solid Romford background behind it. “We did have a good kick-start because of the history of the place - if anyone wants directions who is local you just say come to the old Dunball’s building, so it’s a bit of a landmark,” says Paul.
Once the business was up and running it began to grow. The premises have been expanded twice since becoming Romford Tools. The original layout had a 700 square foot showroom, then in 2000 it was expanded to 1500. Most recently the shop was given a thorough make-over in 2005, which centred around expanding the showroom to 2500 square feet.
Paul believes his experience as a tool trader in the town, before setting up shop has helped make Romford Tools the successful company it is. “I used to run a wholesale company, to sell tools and I used to have a market stall selling tools in Romford,” he says.
The market experience helped in knowing what people really want, he explains, and the way to display things to their best. He also believes it has resulted in a more hands on approach in the company.
“We can relate to people, I think, a lot better, and all the staff have grown up with the market as well,” He explains. “Everyone who works in the shop has, at one time, worked on the market. So I think they can converse more easily with people.”
Another benefit is in purchasing stock, market trading experience means being a natural at negotiating prices.
In fact the market experience was so useful in developing Romford Tools unique and successful approach that they only gave up the market stall, to concentrate all their energies on the shop, last November, it had been a fixture of Romford market for 32 years.
Romford Tools is also a family business. Paul’s wife, Val, works for the company, keeping things in order and doing the book keeping. Their son Anthony works alongside manager David Thompson on the shop floor, he has been with Paul for 15 years.
The company’s longest serving employee is Barry Meekings who has worked for them for 25 years. The company has six employees, including Colin who works in the warehouse.
Romford Tools focuses entirely on building rather than engineering tools, though its predecessor, Dunballs, was primarily an engineering supplier not a construction one. Making this shift may well be one of the reasons Romford Tools has been able to thrive.
“Our main supplier is Toolbank, who we have a good working relationship with,” says Paul. The company stocks all the leading construction brands, “for powertools Makita, Bosch, Dewalt, Hitatchi, Trend, we do them all, you could have a list as long as your arm.”
The company has a deliberate policy of only selling tools, which means there are no fixings in stock, just hand and power tools and their accessories.
It was chosen just to concentrate on tools and items that relate directly to them so that Romford Tools could offer its customers a truly specialized service. A real choice of quality tools fills the shop’s space and the knowledge of its staff is second to none.
Keeping those tools in top condition is also an important element of this service, the company offers a fast and efficient sharpening service to its customers, on a Friday to Friday week turnaround.
Another element of the unique Romford Tools approach is that the company does not have account customers, in fact the showroom sales are excellent, even though the company is purely retail with all trading done over the counter. Although some customers have asked about accounts the success of the company over the last 13 years proves they are not needed, Paul says.
Perhaps it is a result of the market experience but in the end the company’s success comes down to keeping it simple - which also means no, hire, no deliveries.
“People have to come here give us the money and we give them the item,” says Paul. “It’s successful.”
The company has now expanded its premises as far as it can, and demand is still growing, so Paul is looking to new avenues for selling. Because the company needs to use the space it has more wisely the internet is the next logical step, so the Romford Tools website, www.romfordtools.com, is being expanded and improved. This is being undertaken by the youngest member of staff, Chaye.
But of course the mainstay of Romford Tools’ continuing success will always be offering straight-forward quality tools and advice, seven days a week.
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Airstream Communications