FEATURE
Journey – SBT founders Pat Hodgers and Martyn Semark.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
WORDS: DAVE ROBSON PICTURES: STUART BOULTON
SBT reflects on journey from pen and paper orders to total digitalisation
It was the year the Berlin Wall came down and the first page of the world wide web was written. But 1990 was also the year two mates set up a bearings and transmissions supply company that’ s still going strong today. Last month, Stockton Bearing and Transmissions( SBT) celebrated 35 years in business – a remarkable feat, given how the world has changed and the turbulent economic times along the way.
But for SBT founders Martyn Semark and Pat Hodgers, who remain at the helm, the fundamentals remain the same – giving the customer what they want as efficiently and economically as possible.
And if that means changing from pen and paper to complete digitalisation, so be it!
It’ s been quite the journey for Martyn and Pat, who started out in a 650-sq ft unit on the Black Path, at the top end of Portrack.
They’ d worked together, barring one year, since 1981. But frustrated by the constraints of working for a national company, they decided to give it a go themselves.
On May 8, 1990 Stockton Bearings and Transmissions was born, both lads working around the clock to get their new venture off the ground.
Four and a half years later, and with a driver now employed, they moved to Crofton Court off Portrack Lane – and that remains their home, albeit in much larger premises.
Today’ s 7,000-sq ft site includes an impressive industrial superstore that sees a steady stream of customers dropping in daily to pick up or order stock they know SBT is almost certain to have or source.
And reflecting on the firm’ s 35th birthday, Martyn admits it’ s been quite a ride.
He told Tees Business:“ We started in the pit of a recession. Nine out of 10 businesses that started at the same time as us had gone within 24 months. But once you get through a recession, you know you’ re resilient and can handle it.
“ It was a risk, but we got in touch with a lot of suppliers who gave us their backing, some with a small amount of free stock or stock to be paid for as and when used, and some we had to buy up front. We both put money into it – probably about eight grand each, but that 16 grand was a lot of money then.
“ I was always the outside guy, doing outside sales, and Pat was inside – he was, and still is, very good technically. But it’ s changed dramatically – I wouldn’ t even look at myself as a sales guy any more, but back in the day, that’ s what I did.
“ It was all changing even then – whether it was how you dressed, how you addressed people or the type of people you dealt with. We deal a lot more now with guys at the sharp end. Back then, it was always buyers – you’ d arrange an appointment to go and see them with your briefcase. It was a different world.
“ I was laughing about it with someone
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