FEATURE
Top team - SBT staff outside the firm ’ s new superstore .
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURES : STUART BOULTON
ONE-STOP SHOP
SBT unveils impressive new superstore
Tucked away on a road off Stockton ’ s Portrack Lane is a remarkable Aladdin ’ s Cave of engineering parts , PPE and so much more .
SBT ’ s story began in 1990 when , as Stockton Bearings and Transmissions , Martyn Semark and Pat Hodgers decided to use their experience and expertise with national distributors to set up a firm on their home patch .
Fast forward to 2024 and both lads are still part of the dedicated 10-strong team at SBT ’ s Crofton Road site , riding on the crest of a wave after winning the North of England PPE Supplier of the Year accolade at the Prestige Awards .
And while the firm itself has scaled up and diversified massively , one thing remains the same – a fierce commitment to first-class customer service .
If you want anything to do with engineering , industrial and safety supplies , the chances are SBT has it . And if it doesn ’ t , the team will do its level best to source it for you as quickly as possible , knowing that time is often crucial in business .
Everything from engineering supplies , tools and equipment to PPE , clothing and footwear is rapidly despatched from the firm ’ s 7,000-sq ft site – and the range of goods stocked and sent out is quite extraordinary .
On the day Tees Business visited , a microwave , two propellers , two pairs of snow shoes , three speed guns and 250 shopping trolleys were among the items on customers ’ eclectic shopping lists – “ Oh , and a partridge in a pear tree ,” jokes Martyn .
But rest assured – whatever the request , if they can source and supply it , SBT will .
As a founding member of independent distribution network IADA , SBT has access to more than 500 authorised distributorships .
Many orders now come online thanks to a thriving e-commerce operation , begun in May 2023 , developed by Luke Kelly and which now sees 150 parcels a day despatched across the UK and Europe .
However , there ’ s also now a smart new shop on site – relocated from Middlesbrough ’ s Riverside Park and
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