Centra

After a challenging 18 months for the FMCG sector, Northern Ireland Sales and Distribution Company GM Marketing is bucking the current trend with ambitious expansion plans after recent major account wins.

The Lisburn based company who are celebrating 10 years of taking products places were recently appointed to exclusively represent Typhoo Tea in Northern Ireland and the ROI. This follows on from successfully winning and launching an exciting new range of adult, energy and kids drinks.

With the company having firmly established an excellent reputation in Northern Ireland over the past decade as a direct route to market dealing with everything from sales, to delivery, promotion and much more, they feel it is the perfect time to push ahead with further expansion plans for the South.

Gerard McAdorey, Managing Director of GM Marketing, explained: ‘‘It has been a challenging time for the whole FMCG industry, but we have just had to work harder and smarter than before. We have weathered the storm mainly due to the strength of our principals and staff, and now it is time to kick on. The new contract wins prove that we have the right business model in place, and have given us the confidence to expand further into the South.

‘‘The new account wins complement our current grocery and pharmacy principals. Typhoo fits in with our strategy for the ROI which is largely principal driven. We have a huge demand in the South for key principals, this demand has created a need for more reps on the ground to ensure we effectively service accounts in the ROI and we are currently recruiting for sales reps at the minute.’’

The company has flourished since it was founded in 2000 by MD Gerard McAdorey. Over the past decade it has built up an impressive portfolio of grocery and pharmacy principals which include Elkes Biscuits (sister company of Foxes biscuits), Tilda Rice (UK’s fastest growing basmati rice) , Tommee Tippee (number 1 baby accessories brand), 3M, hip make-up brand GOSH Cosmetics and many more. GM now pride themselves in offering a complete menu of services to clients.

The team has also rapidly expanded during this time rising from three to 19 staff with the recruitment of more sales staff currently in the process. The team currently service 1400 accounts in Northern Ireland and the ROI, supplying products to household names such as Henderson’s, Musgraves, Dunnes, Costcutter, Nisa, Medicare, Gordon’s Chemist, Clear Pharmacy and a number of other leading independent pharmacies and shops.

In 2007 GM Marketing acquired the pharmacy wholesale company Kuros and its extensive range of products, greatly adding to GM’s pharmacy product offering. Complementing this extensive range of pharmacy products is successful, hip and trendy Danish make up brand GOSH Cosmetics and Northern Irish wonder cream Botanica.

As well as expanding into the ROI, GM Marketing has also formed a number of partnerships in the UK. These partnerships will see a number of products and brands being launched throughout 2010.