Engineering distributor group Troy UK held its fifth TMB – Troy Means Business – event in April.
Packing in over 150 trade stands, which represented hundreds of big name brands, the show took place over two halls of the Wing at the iconic
Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire.
Over 250 decision makers raced into Troy Means Business and there was, Troy UK says, a record amount of business done on the day.
Draper Tools, Makita, Dormer Pramet & Toolbank sponsored the event, and a broad selection of exhibitors filled the two halls at Silverstone, from the likes of: Tyrolit, Sparky, Optimaxx, Bosch, DeWalt and many more. Over 80% of the show’s stands were sold within 48 hours of going on sale, Troy says.
TMB also honoured new ideas and products through its Innovation Awards. This year the prize, sponsored by Santander, went to Jack Sealey Ltd for its battery retrieval system. Adam Pike, representing the Bury St Edmunds-based supplier of tools and equipment, received the award from Santander’s divisional manager Cheryl Adams.
GALA IMPRESSIONS
Post-show, around 460 people attended the James Bond-themed Gala Dinner at nearby Whittlebury Hall. As well as chance to network with the rest of the industry, the evening included entertainment, with impressions from Jon Culshaw. Former Stig (of Top Gear fame) Ben Collins made an appearance too. The stunt driver and adviser has worked on a number of James Bond films, tapping into the evening’s theme, and he took part in a question and answer session.
Aerosol Solutions told Torque: “A fun filled fantastic Bond themed day was had at this year’s Troy show. Aerosol Solutions had its best ever Troy show with a record number of orders taken and total value of orders.
Stuart Graham, Aerosol Solutions Managing Director, added: “Once again we have had a great Troy show, a brilliant day followed by a fantastic gala dinner. We are looking forward to next year’s Troy show.”
After the show – which Troy UK said was its best-attended yet – the events team extended the Troy Means Business show virtually. This new offering was made for the first time, allowing members the chance to revisit the show for a further seven days. Troy said it had proved popular, with the site receiving over 500 hits during the week, viewing show deals and – Troy UK tells Torque – many orders were placed post-show.
SPOTLIGHT ON TROY UK
Formed three decades ago to bring together the nation’s independent distributors and combine their purchasing power, Troy UK now boasts a membership of over 200, covering 265 UK locations with a database of 320 suppliers. According to Troy, members can buy at competitive rates from major suppliers and so are able to compete with multinational
competitors with purchasing power.
Combined purchases by Troy UK members are in excess of £500 million, Troy UK says. Recent suppliers signing up to the group include soft tissue and paper products specialist Essential Supply Products, chemical and cleaning supplier Evans Vanodine International and PPE, workwear and leisure wear firm Orbit International.
